Silchar, July 26: Four workers were killed and another sustained minor injuries in an explosion at the Ladi Steel industrial unit at Pangram in Cachar district’s Udharbond constituency at around 11:03 am on Sunday. Authorities and rescue teams reached the factory soon after the blast and local residents and factory employees assisted in recovering the bodies.
Officials from the district administration and the police, along with personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), sealed the premises. “NDRF personnel have been asked to conduct a thorough search of the premises to rule out the possibility of any worker remaining trapped inside,” Cabinet Minister Kaushik Rai said.
Rai, who rushed to the scene with Cachar Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar Gupta and Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjib Saikia, said the exact cause of the explosion has yet to be established. “Our immediate priority was to recover the victims and secure the premises. A detailed investigation will determine the cause of the explosion and whether there were any lapses in the safety arrangements for workers,” he added.
Following the incident, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased workers.
Speaking to The Assam Tribune, Udharbond MLA Rajdeep Goala said three of the deceased were residents of the locality while the fourth, a driver, was from Tripura. “The bodies have been sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination. The injured worker is undergoing treatment at Udharbond Hospital and is out of danger,” Goala said.
The Cachar district administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry, while Cachar Police and the Labour Department have launched separate probes into the cause of the explosion and the factory’s safety measures. Rai said investigators will also examine local residents’ claims that smaller explosions had occurred at the unit on earlier occasions.
Cachar Police have detained the factory manager and other management personnel for questioning. The owners, reportedly out of station, have been asked to appear before investigators on Monday, and the Assistant Labour Commissioner will conduct a separate inquiry into workplace conditions and statutory safeguards.
Cachar SSP Sanjib Saikia said an FIR would be registered and a formal investigation initiated. A team of forensic experts from Guwahati is expected to examine the site, collect samples and help determine the exact cause of the blast. The district administration is also in talks with factory management to secure additional compensation for the bereaved families.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/assam/steel-factory-explosion-kills-four-in-cachar-cm-announces-rs-5-lakh-ex-gratia-1614772
Category: Assam,Featured
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Publish Date: 2026-07-26 17:24:00
