Meerut: At least 12 workers were killed and 21 seriously injured in an explosion in the boiler unit of an electronics manufacturing factory in UP’s Hapur on Saturday. A senior officer involved in the investigation told TOI that particles of gunpowder were found on the spot.
“We think something suspicious was being made at the factory, which only had a license to manufacture electronics,” the official said.
According to the police, the blast happened around 3 pm. residents of Dhaulana Village, who had their homes and shops near the factory, told police that they felt “earthquake-like tremors”. They ran outside to see the mutilated bodies of factory workers scattered here and there. “There were bodies lying all around. I saw one man’s head was missing, while the other had no arms and legs. They were all unknown. Those who were injured were not in a position to speak,” Anil Kumar, an eyewitness. “it was a nightmare.”
When the news of the blast reached the police, the fire brigade team and doctors reached the spot.
Senior officials of police and district administration, including IG Praveen Kumar, SSP Deepak Booker and DM Medha Rupam, reached the spot to take stock of the situation. Police said around 50 people were working in a CNG factory located just a few meters from a petrol pump, when the explosion took place. SSP Booker confirmed the deaths to TOI. He said several injured were taken to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital. “The bodies were mutilated beyond imagination and so we could not identify anyone. We are trying to complete this process as soon as possible.”
“Forensic teams have been deployed to ascertain the real cause of the blast,” he said. Mohammad Javed, the uncle of 23-year-old Noor Hasan, who had joined the factory just a few days ago, kept looking for his nephew. Moaning, he sat beside each mutilated body for a few minutes, looking at the clothes, to see if they had any resemblance to his nephew. “He along with 10 others from our village Saiyanipur had gone to the factory for work this morning. I could only meet one of them. Everyone else is missing,” he said.
He said that Noor’s parents had died when he was young and he was taking care of his younger sister. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have expressed grief over the death of the people. The accident happened in the chemical factory of Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, it’s heart breaking. I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. The state government is actively involved in the treatment of the injured and will extend all possible help,” the PM wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, the UP CM directed officials to extend “all possible help” to the families of those who died or were injured.
According to UP State Industrial Development Corporation Limited (UPSIDC) officials, the ownership of the factory was transferred in 2019 in the name of a Delhi resident. “Production at the factory started on March 23, 2021 as per our records. Earlier an inspection was done and then everything was in order,” said Rakesh Jha, regional manager of UPSCIDC. (with inputs from Abhijay Jha)
“We think something suspicious was being made at the factory, which only had a license to manufacture electronics,” the official said.
According to the police, the blast happened around 3 pm. residents of Dhaulana Village, who had their homes and shops near the factory, told police that they felt “earthquake-like tremors”. They ran outside to see the mutilated bodies of factory workers scattered here and there. “There were bodies lying all around. I saw one man’s head was missing, while the other had no arms and legs. They were all unknown. Those who were injured were not in a position to speak,” Anil Kumar, an eyewitness. “it was a nightmare.”
When the news of the blast reached the police, the fire brigade team and doctors reached the spot.
Senior officials of police and district administration, including IG Praveen Kumar, SSP Deepak Booker and DM Medha Rupam, reached the spot to take stock of the situation. Police said around 50 people were working in a CNG factory located just a few meters from a petrol pump, when the explosion took place. SSP Booker confirmed the deaths to TOI. He said several injured were taken to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital. “The bodies were mutilated beyond imagination and so we could not identify anyone. We are trying to complete this process as soon as possible.”
“Forensic teams have been deployed to ascertain the real cause of the blast,” he said. Mohammad Javed, the uncle of 23-year-old Noor Hasan, who had joined the factory just a few days ago, kept looking for his nephew. Moaning, he sat beside each mutilated body for a few minutes, looking at the clothes, to see if they had any resemblance to his nephew. “He along with 10 others from our village Saiyanipur had gone to the factory for work this morning. I could only meet one of them. Everyone else is missing,” he said.
He said that Noor’s parents had died when he was young and he was taking care of his younger sister. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have expressed grief over the death of the people. The accident happened in the chemical factory of Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, it’s heart breaking. I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. The state government is actively involved in the treatment of the injured and will extend all possible help,” the PM wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, the UP CM directed officials to extend “all possible help” to the families of those who died or were injured.
According to UP State Industrial Development Corporation Limited (UPSIDC) officials, the ownership of the factory was transferred in 2019 in the name of a Delhi resident. “Production at the factory started on March 23, 2021 as per our records. Earlier an inspection was done and then everything was in order,” said Rakesh Jha, regional manager of UPSCIDC. (with inputs from Abhijay Jha)