Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Four workers died and two were left critically injured after an explosion at a metal processing plant in Assam’s Cachar district. The blast occurred around 11 am on July 26, when molten metal spilled across the factory floor. More than 100 people were inside the unit in Pangram at the time of the incident.
The deceased include 32-year-old Appu Boraik, 28-year-old Kiron Munda, Shyamal Gaur, and Sagar Nath, who hailed from Agartala in Tripura. Doctors at Silchar Medical College and Hospital pronounced them dead before post-mortem examinations were conducted. Local residents and family members allege the facility had a history of similar accidents.
Police have arrested five people in connection with the disaster. Those detained include factory owner Rakesh Kumar Surana, 63, of Guwahati, along with Alok Kumar Tiwari, 34, Rama Kant Singh, 35, Shamim Akhtar, 35, and Amichand Jangir, 62. Authorities booked the suspects under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for negligence. Cachar Additional Superintendent of Police Rajat Pal confirmed the arrests.
The National Human Rights Commission has now taken suo motu cognisance of the event. They issued notices to the Assam Chief Secretary and the Cachar Superintendent of Police, demanding a full report within two weeks. The Commission noted, "If the contents of the media reports are found to be true, the incident would indicate a serious issue involving possible violations of human rights and workplace safety standards."
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced 5 lakh rupees in compensation for each victim's family. He warned that industrial negligence will not be tolerated. Minister Kaushik Rai confirmed that a magisterial inquiry, a police investigation, and a labor commissioner probe are underway. An FSL Guwahati team is currently scouring the site to determine exactly why the blast happened.
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