14.5 tonnes goes up in flames, firm’s licence suspended
Quepem: Panic spread among residents of Naquerim in Quepem on Thursday night after nearly 14.5 tonne of gunpowder, stored in a magazine in a warehouse, went up in flames leaving several houses damaged with cracks surfacing on walls.
No casualty was reported in the incident that resulted in a loud blast. South Goa Collector Egna Cleetus has issued prohibitory orders preventing public entry within 800-metre radius of the site of the incident.
A case has been registered at Cuncolim police station against officials of Hughes Precision Manufacturing Pvt Ltd, a Verna-based company, which owns the warehouse.
Cleetus said the licence granted to Hughes Precision Manufacturing Pvt Ltd has been suspended. She said officials from Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) will visit the site of incident on Saturday to ascertain the cause of the blast.
According to police, the Cuncolim fire station received a call around 11 pm. The firefighters battled the raging flames for nearly an hour before bringing the situation under control, preventing any further damage to life and property.
The warehouse, allegedly operating without the required permission, had another live magazine kept in the facility. Police cordoned off the perimeter and ensured that no unauthorised individual was present near the magazine.
Top officials including the South Goa Collector, Superintendent of Police, South, and Deputy Superintendent of Police, Margao, were also present at the site to take a review of the operation. Company officials were directed to remain present at the incident site, as the authorities were unaware of the amount and type of explosives stored in the warehouse.
Meanwhile, locals said several houses have developed cracks due to the impact of the blast. Recounting the incident, the residents said it was 10.30 pm when they heard a loud sound leading to cracks surfacing on their house walls. “We didn’t know what had happened, we were scared. Soon, we saw flames and immediately informed the fire and emergency service,” they said.
The residents claimed that they had opposed the warehouse facility coming up in the village in 2019 over safety concerns. They alleged that the panchayat too had rejected an application for permission.
