Nagpur/Kalmeshwar: The death toll in the devastating explosion at SBL Energy Limited’s explosives manufacturing unit in Raulgaon village of Katol tehsil has climbed to 19, as Kalmeshwar Police arrested nine senior company officials and booked them under charges of culpable homicide and other serious offences.
The blast occurred between 6 am and 7 am on Sunday in Building No. 16(B), a section of the unit engaged in manufacturing gunpowder and detonators used in mining operations. Around 35 workers were present in the department when the explosion ripped through the structure, triggering a massive fire and causing part of the building to collapse. The powerful blast was reportedly heard across nearby villages.
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Nine Senior Officials Arrested
Police confirmed the arrest of the following nine company officials:
- Chandrashekhar Brijmohan Rajwad (50), Vice-President, resident of Ambazari, Nagpur
- Sandeep Himmatlal Solanki (62), Senior General Manager, resident of Katol Road, Nagpur
- Pradeep Raghunath Sharma (57), General Manager, resident of Katol Road, Nagpur
- Roshan Bhaskrao Raut (43), Production Manager, resident of Dattawadi, Nagpur
- Neelkanth Thaniram Dongre (48), Production Manager (training for detonator filling and framing), resident of Dabha, Nagpur
- Pankaj Ramnaresh Pandey (32), Production Supervisor, resident of Besa, Nagpur
- Sudhakar Ramesh Uparkar (43), Loading Supervisor, resident of Kohli, Taluka Kalmeshwar
- Rajendra Devrao Pardhi (42), In-charge of Building 16(A), resident of Dorli (Bhingare), Kalmeshwar
- Vilas Ankush Malve (45), In-charge of Building 16(B), resident of Chitnis Nagar, Nagpur
All accused were taken into custody, produced before the court, and remanded to six days of police custody. Earlier, two directors – Rakesh Tiwari and Ravi Kamre – were also arrested after attending a meeting convened by Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule.
The case has been registered under Section 105 (culpable homicide), Section 25(A)(B) (acts endangering life or personal safety), and Section 288 (negligent conduct with regard to explosives) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.
Preliminary inspection reports by the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) reportedly pointed to serious safety violations at the unit.
Death Toll Rises to 19
The toll rose to 19 after worker Ranjana Uttam Ghagre (35) succumbed to her injuries on Monday morning. She had suffered severe burns in the explosion.
Bodies of the victims were shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Nagpur. Officials stated that several bodies were completely charred, and in at least three cases, remains arrived in bundled form, making identification extremely difficult.
CM Calls for Automation and Revised Protocols
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the injured workers undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Nagpur after arriving from Mumbai. He stated that the time has come to introduce large-scale automation in the manufacturing of high-intensity explosives, particularly in critical processes such as fuse work and final filling of highly explosive materials.
Fadnavis observed that while regulation of the explosives industry falls under the purview of the Central Government, the State will conduct an in-depth review to prevent recurrence of such tragedies. He pointed out that existing regulatory frameworks were framed in 2008 and may not adequately address the risks posed by newer, more powerful explosives now being manufactured.
He stressed the need for tighter protocols, standardised practices, and intensive worker training. Automation, he said, is inevitable in high-risk explosive handling areas to minimise human exposure. Defending regulatory authorities, he noted that audits were conducted after previous incidents, but added that repetitive loss of human life is unacceptable.
The company is bearing the cost of treatment of injured workers, according to officials.
Katol MLA Charan Singh Thakur and local administrative officials were present during the Chief Minister’s visit.
Police said further investigation is underway, and more arrests are likely as agencies continue to examine compliance failures and operational lapses behind one of the deadliest industrial disasters in the Nagpur region in recent years.
