Labourer dies after blast at Khadki, Pune, Ammunition Factory

The officer added, “We have not been able to ascertain what exactly caused the explosion or even what exploded. It could be old unexploded ammunition which was found buried at the excavation site or it could be something he found on the factory premises. There were no other individuals present at the location at the time. Despite the explosion, glass panes of a window nearby have remained intact. This suggests it was a low intensity blast.”

When contacted, Vikramsingh Kadam, in-charge of Khadki police said, “We are investigating the exact cause of the explosion. The AFK has also started conducting an internal probe.”

This is not the first time accidents have occured at the AFK. In June 2017, two workers had lost their lives in an accident that took place during the transfer of explosives at the AFK. In October 2017, a worker was critically injured and lost his fingers in an accident. In 2019, another worker sustained severe injuries to the chest and also lost fingers in an explosion in the grenade making section of the factory. In 2022, an AFK who had sustained grievous injuries in an accident that took place during the process of drying explosives succumbed during treatment over a week later.

AFK, which is one of the oldest of factories under the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board is now under preview of the Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Munitions India Limited (MIL). The Pune headquartered MIL is a cluster of 12 factories producing ammunition and explosives for military and civilian authorities and also customers from foreign countries.