Jabalpur (PTI): More than a dozen workers were injured in a powerful blast at the Ordnance Factory Khamaria in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district on Tuesday morning, an official said.

The blast took place at around 9.45 am when explosive material was being filled in bombs in a refilling section of the factory, the official from the establishment said.

Among the injured persons, two were in a serious condition and admitted to a hospital. Another worker was missing and was possibly trapped under the debris of the section in which the blast took place, he said.

The blast was so powerful that it was even heard by people a few kilometres away, as per eyewitnesses.

The Ordnance Factory Khamaria is one of the major ammunition production unit under the Department of Defence Production.

More than a dozen workers received injuries in the blast and efforts were on to locate a missing worker, who was possibly trapped under the debris of the building, the official said.

A probe has been ordered into the incident and the exact cause behind the blast will be known after completion of the investigation, he said.

Fire brigade and security staff of the factory launched a relief and rescue operation, the official added.

 

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New Delhi, Nov 25: Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Monday dismissed as "rumours" talk of his resignation following the assembly polls debacle and stressed on "collective accountability" for the defeat.

Patole made the remarks after meeting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge during which he conveyed that the result had not reflected the sentiments of the people of Maharashtra.

"Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other national and state leaders were leading Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) from the forefront during the assembly polls. So, we were sure that the trends were in favour of Maha Vikas Aghadi, even the citizens believed that," the Maharashtra Congress chief said.

"If I talk about Nanded, the Lok Sabha bypolls and assembly elections were held on the same day. In Lok Sabha bypolls, our candidate was winning in six assembly seats, whereas, in the assembly elections, we are not winning even a single seat," he said, adding that there cannot be such a "huge difference".

This is the sentiment among the people also and they have stated that this government in Maharashtra was not being formed on their votes, he claimed.

"So, I spoke to Mallikarjun Kharge on this," he added.

Asked whether he had offered to resign or the party had asked for his resignation after the Maharashtra assembly polls defeat, Patole said, "These are all rumours and there is no truth in them. There is collective accountability."

Patole also said he will meet Rahul Gandhi in a day or two and discuss all issues.

"Democracy is being finished. We have discussed that... there was no talk of resignation," he said.

The MVA alliance, comprising the Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT), was restrained to 46 seats by the Mahayuti that reaped a rich harvest of 230 seats in the 288-member House.