At least three people were killed, and six others were critically injured after a boiler exploded at a sugar factory in Belagavi district on Wednesday, police said.
According to officials, the explosion occurred at the Inamdar Sugar Factory when workers were carrying out routine maintenance work on the boiler.
Superintendent of Police (Belagavi Rural) K Ramarajan said the mishap took place around 2 pm. “Eight people were critically injured in the incident. Three of them have succumbed to their injuries,” he said.
Preliminary information suggests that workers were repairing a valve in the Number 1 boiler compartment when the boiler suddenly exploded, releasing scalding hot molasses that engulfed those standing nearby.
The injured workers were rushed
to nearby hospitals, where several remain in critical condition. The deceased and injured have been identified as Manjunath Teredal, Akshay Chopade, Raghavendra Giriyal, Guru Tammannavar, Bharat Sarawadi, Deepak Munavalli, Sudarshan Banoshi, and Manjunath Kajagar.
Emergency services rushed to the spot following the blast, and factory operations were immediately suspended. Police said an investigation has been launched to ascertain the exact cause of the explosion.
