Rewari factory blast: Death toll rises to 10; Haryana govt, company owners announce separate compensations for kin of deceased

The committee, headed by the SDM, has submitted the probe findings to the Deputy Commissioner (DC). “We have found many gaps which were highlighted in the report to the DC,” the SDM said.

Rewari DC Rahul Hooda said that he has sought another team to be deputed to delve into the technical details of the case. “The report stated that the fire was caused due to a short circuit which travelled to the dust collector and resulted in the explosion,” he said. Another committee member, under condition of anonymity, said that the dust collector was not cleaned by the factory authorities.

Meanwhile, the police identified the deceased as Ghanshyam, Manoj, Dinesh, Devanand, Ajay, Manjeet, Dayasankar, Pankaj, Ramu and Rajesh. “Ten other labourers have been discharged from the hospital after treatment,” said officials.

The Superintendent of Police said that two more sections of the IPC, 204 (destroying a document or electronic record) and 308 (attempts to commit culpable homicide), have been added. However, the owners and managers have not been accused of criminal negligence.

The blast took place around 5.45 pm on March 16 when the workers were inside the factory which manufactured automobile components. Families of the victims alleged that they were not given protective gear and that the factory’s dust collector was not cleaned and maintained.

Subhash Rana, general manager, HR, Lifelong Pvt Ltd, had earlier said that they installed the dust collectors to protect labourers from diseases that would arise from being subjected to the dust. “We had given them protective equipment, including gloves, goggles and earplugs,” he added. He did not respond to calls seeking comment on Friday.