Rewari factory blast: death toll rises to 6, CM meets injured, announces aid

Six workers injured in a boiler blast at a spare parts manufacturing facility in Rewari, Haryana, last week have died, while the condition of 10 others is critical, police said on Wednesday.

Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini met the hospitalised victims at PGIMS Hospital in Rohtak and announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, according to an official statement.

Four of those injured died on Tuesday night — Ajay (32), Ramu (27), Rajesh (38) — at PGIMS-Rohtak and Vijay (37) at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital, inspector Jagdish Chander said. Two more workers, who were in their mid 30s, died on Wednesday. Both were being treated at PGIMS- Rohtak, Chander said.

While one of them succumbed to his injuries at PGIMS, the other one died on the way after he was referred to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital in the afternoon, he said.

The blast took place at a manufacturing facility in Dharuhera industrial area on 16 March, leaving 40 workers injured, according to the police.

During his visit to Rohtak on Wednesday, Saini met the injured workers and their families, the statement said. He enquired about the well being of the blast victims undergoing treatment there and wished them a speedy recovery. He assured the families that the government would provide all possible help for treatment, it added.

Later, the chief minister announced that a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh would be given to the next of kin of each of the deceased under the Labour Welfare Board Scheme, the statement said.

Workers with more than 75 per cent burn injuries would be given an assistance amount of Rs 2 lakh for their treatment, it said. Saini also announced an assistance of Rs 1 lakh for workers with 50 to 75 per cent burn injuries and Rs 50,000 for the treatment of workers with up to 50 per cent burn injuries.

The chief minister termed the Dharuhera incident as "unfortunate" and said he had already ordered a magisterial probe, following which the government would take appropriate action based on its findings.

A senior police officer said 40 workers had suffered burn injuries in the incident. Of these, 10 were admitted to the Rewari Trauma Centre, more than 20 to PGIMS Rohtak, four to the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi and others in Dharuhera. Five workers were later discharged from hospital.

The police on Sunday had registered a case in connection with the boiler blast. The contractor and others have been booked in the case. The FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Raj Kumar, a labourer from Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district. After the incident, Saini had ordered a probe under a sub-divisional magistrate.