UPDATE: 17:15 a.m. IST — The fire that broke out at the Central Ammunition Depot in Pulgaon, Maharashtra, has been doused completely.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag visited the depot on Tueday, NDTV reported.
UPDATE: 11:35 a.m. IST — At least 20 people have been killed in the fire at the Central Ammunition Depot (CAD) in Pulgaon, according to an Indian Express report.
Shailesh Naval, the collector of Wardha, was quoted by the daily as saying: "Though a small fire is still on, there is apparently no further damage expected. Five villages around CAD, placed in the close vicinity, were evacuated immediately but as soon as the danger subsided, the villagers were restored back to their respective places."
NDTV quoted Ramesh Barde, a fire officer with the Nagpur fire department, as saying that the firefighters used 10 fire engines to control the fire.
Speaking from the scene, Barde said that "the fire broke out at 1:30 am and nearby fire engines reached the venue by 2:30 am... It was brought under control by 6:15 am."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a series of tweets, has sympathised with the families of those who died in the fire and has wished for a speedy recovery of those injured.
Pained by loss of lives caused by a fire at central ammunition depot in Pulgaon, Maharashtra. My thoughts are with the bereaved families.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 31, 2016
I pray that those who are injured recover quickly. Have asked RM @manoharparrikar to visit the spot & take stock of the situation. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 31, 2016
Original Story —
At least 17 people, including two oficers, have been killed after a massive fire broke out at the Central Ammunition Depot in Pulgaon, located in the Wardha district of Maharashtra. Around 19 people have been injured and approximately 1,000 people have been evacuated from nearby villages.
According to NDTV, the fire broke out around 1 a.m. after an explosion at the depot in Wardha leaving two officers and 15 jawans dead. The cause of the fire is still not known.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will reportedly visit the facility to take stock of the damage.
The report quoted the army as saying that the firefighters have largely brought the fire under control but smaller explosions and fires are a worry.
Most of the people killed belong to the Defence Security Corps, NDTV reported. The army has ordered a court of inquiry into the matter.
The Central Ammunition Depot in Wardha, 110 km from Nagpur city, is the largest weapons storage facility in India and the second largest in Asia. It stores ammunition required for a huge range of arms from BrahMos missile to AK-47.
