A powerful explosion occurred in a scrap warehouse near Jabalpur Khajri-Khiria bypass on Thursday afternoon. The loud sound of the blast was heard around 5 kms away. Initially, people in the near-by areas thought it was an earthquake, but when they came out of their homes, they saw smoke billowing from the warehouse. Senior police officials and a team of Adhartal Police Station immediately reached the spot on receiving information about the incident. The fire brigade and ambulances were also called in. One body was recovered from the debris and efforts are underway to identify the deceased. Fragments of bombs were also found. Owner of the scrapyard Shamin Kabadi is currently absconding and police have detained two people. The explosion caused cracks in the walls of nearby houses. At around 12 noon, a severe explosion took place at Raza Metal Industry located near Khajri-Khiria bypass. The explosion was so intense that the entire warehouse collapsed. A large shed made of iron was also blown away and the extent of the damage to surrounding houses is still being assessed.

 

It is reported that Shamin’s scrap warehouse extends over an area of 20,000 square feet. It is used to store various damaged products, including LPG gas cylinders, oxygen cylinders and oil extracted from vehicles. Following the explosion, police and district administration swung into action and administrative officials reached the site. Preliminary investigations revealed that the terrible incident was not caused by a cylinder explosion but rather due to some other reason. Investigations are being conducted thoroughly. The Dog Squad, FSL and other teams visited and examined the scene to gather evidence. Taking a note of the severity of the situation, Collector Deepak Kumar Saxena, Municipal Commissioner Preeti Yadav and other senior officials also visited the site. The Collector informed that a major explosion had occurred, causing the roof of the warehouse to collapse and the walls of nearby houses to crack. Information about some casualties is being ascertained, but it is currently difficult to determine the exact number. Further investigations are on.

 

WAREHOUSE BELONGS TO A HISTORY-SHEETER: The warehouse belongs to a notorious criminal, history-sheeter Shamim Kabadi. A few months ago, police had taken action to demolish his illegally constructed luxurious house located near the bypass. It is suspected that the incident occurred due to a fire in the scrap material, such as bullet, bomb casings brought from defence installation or gas cylinders used for metal cutting. A team from FSL and Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) was also called to the scene for investigation.