5 die in Shadnagar glass factory blast

Hyderabad: Five persons were killed and at least 15 others were injured in a blast at a glass manufacturing unit in Shadnagar on Friday.

A massive blast took place at the South Glass manufacturing unit in Farooq Nagar mandal of Ranga Reddy district. The blast was so intense that the workers were thrown at least two to three metres away. The parts of the bodies of the workers who died were found strewn around the place presenting a ghastly picture. The injured have been shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment. Most of the workers are migrants from Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

It is said that they sustained grievous injuries due to piercing of glass pieces. Following the blast, the entire area was engulfed in thick black smoke as the flames spread in the building. Fire fighters and police reached the spot and took up rescue operations. The dead have been identified as Chittaranjan, Ram Prakash, Ravikanth and Roshan.

According to the Fire department, the fire took place around 4.30 pm following a blast in the compressor due to overfilling of the air. The furnace section caught fire and it spread to other areas very fast. The police have registered a case and are investigating.

It is said that about 100 workers were present in the unit when the incident took place.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who is in Delhi, enquired about the incident and directed the District Collector and officials of the Revenue and Police department to take all necessary measures for rescue and relief works and ensure best of the treatment to the injured. BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao also expressed his shock over the incident and appealed to the government to take all necessary steps to provide the best medical aid to the injured.