Hyderabad: At least five people were killed and 15 workers injured in a blast at a glass factory at Shadnagar, Rangareddy district, on Friday.
A compressor tank in the factory at Shadnagar, nearly 50km away from Hyderabad, exploded around 4.30 pm, police said.
The incident occurred when the workers were busy doing regular work in the factory. Due to impact of the explosion several workers received serious injuries, including dismembering of limbs.
Ambulances rushed to the spot soon after the explosion.
The injured have been rushed to a hospital and their condition was stated to be out of danger, police said.
Rangareddy Collector K. Shashank visited the accident site. He said the preliminary probe shows the blast occurred as the safety valve of the compressor was not working.
The deceased and injured workers are said to be migrants from Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh.
Leaders of the All India Trade Union Congress demanded that the management pay compensation of Rs 20 lakh each to the families of the deceased.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who is in Delhi, directed officials to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured.
According to the Chief Minister’s Office, he asked the Collector and officials of Revenue, Police and other departments to focus on relief works.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao expressed shock over the death of workers in the blast. He conveyed heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and prayers for the swift recovery of those injured.
He appealed to the state government to immediately conduct a thorough safety audit and review disaster management plans in all industrial areas to prevent any recurrence.
(with inputs from IANS)
