Panaji: A huge explosion occurred in a warehouse at Naqueri-Betul village in South Goa, which stored explosives for a small-calibre ammunition factory, on Thursday night.
A senior police official stated on Friday that the explosion occurred inside the warehouse at around 10:30 PM on Thursday, resulting in a massive blaze. No casualties were reported, he added.
The Fire and Emergency Services were rushed to the spot and managed to control the spread of the fire within two hours of the blast.
South Goa District Collector Egna Cleetus, who rushed to the site last night, told reporters that the concerned authorities will inspect the site on Friday (today).
“The reason for the incident is yet to be identified. A thorough investigation will be conducted on Friday, and only after that will the cause of the blast be known,” Cleetus said.
Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa said that the blast was so intense that several houses in Naqueri-Betul village developed cracks. The MLA had visited the site after the blast last night.
“Due to the sound of the blast, locals panicked and ran out of their houses. The blaze emanating from the explosion could be seen even from Agonda Beach in Canacona Taluka, which is located 15 km away from the blast site,” he said.
Following the explosion, a group of locals and company representatives (who had set up the warehouse) rushed to the spot on Thursday night.
Naqueri-Betul Panchayat Sarpanch Pritam Deulkar stated that the warehouse had no permission from local bodies. The Sarpanch questioned how the warehouse was functioning without proper approvals.
A company representative informed villagers that the warehouse was attached to a factory located at Verna Industrial Estate in South Goa.
They claimed that the required permission was obtained from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) to run a warehouse at Naqueri-Betul.
PESO, formerly known as the Department of Explosives, has been serving as the nodal agency for regulating the safety of hazardous substances such as explosives, compressed gases, and petroleum.
