The death toll in the Central Ammunition Depot (CAD), Pulgaon accident on Tuesday rose to 19 after three more bodies were recovered on Wednesday from the site of the mishap. The bodies were charred beyond recognition. The authorities are likely to go in for DNA test to identify some of the deceased.
Meanwhile, the condition of 17 injured, including two Army officers, was reported to be stable.
Three of them were airlifted to Army Hospital in Pune on Wednesday. They include Deputy Commandant of the CAD, Col Ganendra Singh, and two other officers — Sharad Yadav and Jagdish Chandra. Yadav has suffered some injuries on his face and arm caused by flying splinters and Chandra suffered burn injuries.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar along with Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag had visited the hospital in Wardha on Tuesday after inspecting the fire site. Parrikar had said the possibilty of saboate was “remote”, adding the Army has instituted an enquiry to ascertain the casue of fire.
Timely action by fire fighting teams prevented the fire from spreading and was confined to one shed in which anti-tank mines were stored.
Given the intensity of the accident caused by fire leading to explosions has mounted a challenge for the Army to sanitise the depot to prevent recurrence of such an incident, officials said in Delhi. They said it will take months before the depot, spread over 7,000 acres, is fully secured as many explosives may have been buried or flown up in various directions landing in nearby fields covered with elephant grass.
Explaining the enormity of the task, they said the buried explosives, be it bombs or missiles, will have to be dug out and destroyed. Similarly, the ammunition which could have landed in the nearby fields will first have to be tracked and then dismantled or destroyed.
Officials also said the experts will have to move cautiously as the explosions on Tuesday may have chemically destabilised the existing ammunition and cannot afford to commit a mistake leading to another mishap.
The CAD located 115 km from Nagpur is the largest ammunition depot in the country. It feeds ammunition, including bombs, artillery shells, mortars, rifles, grenades and missiles to 11 Forward Ammuntion Depots (FAD) of the Army.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday asked the Maharashtra Government and other authorities to provide all possible aid to the bereaved families as well as medical assistance to the injured. In his message to Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, the President said, “I am sad to know about the massive fire at the Central Ammunition Depot in Pulgaon, in which some persons have lost their lives and many others are injured. I understand rescue as well as relief operations are currently underway. My thoughts and prayers are with the injured and the families who have lost their near and dear ones.”