at least nine dead, three injured in factory explosion

At least nine workers, including six women, were killed in an explosion at a drone and explosives manufacturing factory in western India, the local government announced on Sunday, December 17. The detonation took place at Solar Industries India in Nagpur city.

The company makes drones and explosives for the Indian armed forces, the government said. Police have opened an investigation into the explosion, which also injured at least three workers. The state government said it would pay $6,000 (5,500 euros) to each family of those who died in the accident.

Industrial disasters are common in India, with experts blaming them on poor planning and lax enforcement of safety rules. Last year, eleven people were killed in the eastern state of Bihar following an explosion in a house where firecrackers were being made illegally. In 2021, 19 people were killed in a firecracker factory explosion in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.