Panaji: In a major explosion reported at Naqueri-Betul village in South Goa, 14.5 tonnes of gunpowder stored in the warehouse facility of a private small-caliber ammunition factory was burnt, creating panic among the locals.
M/s Hughes Precision Manufacturing Private Limited, a small-caliber ammunition manufacturing factory, had their warehouse at Naqueri-Betul village, where the incident occurred at around 10:30 PM on Thursday.
Several villagers rushed to the site as the sound of the explosion was heard from a long distance.
Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa, who visited the site on Thursday night, said that the blast was so powerful that several houses in Naqueri-Betul village developed cracks.
South Goa District Collector Egna Cleetus, in an order issued on Friday prohibiting people from visiting the explosion site, said that a magazine storing propellant (gunpowder) had caught fire.
The gunpowder is used for manufacturing small-caliber ammunition.
The District Collector stated that approximately 14.5 tonnes of propellant were destroyed in the explosion, but no casualties were reported.
While imposing prohibitory orders around the explosion site, Cleetus noted that there was a likelihood of danger to life and livelihood, and the incident could create disturbances to peace and tranquility in the area.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) on Friday suspended the licence granted to M/s Hughes Precision Manufacturing Private Limited.
R. Rawat, Joint Chief Controller of Explosives, issued a show cause notice to the company on Friday, giving them 21 days to respond.
