Toll in Wardha ammunition depot touches 18

The death toll in the deadly inferno at the Central Ammunition Depot fire in Wardha, Maharashtra yesterday, in which 16 Army personnel were killed increased to 18.

The Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis led-Maharashtra government announced a compensation of five lakh rupees to the next kin of those killed and three lakh rupees to the injured.

Public Health Minister Dipak Sawant has assured that air ambulance will be made available if the need arises to shift the injured to Mumbai for treatment.

Meanwhile, the fire has been completely doused and situation has been brought under control after an overnight operation. But the officials are still monitoring the accident spot.

The blaze started around 2 A.M yesterday.

The fire had spread to a number of sheds where ammunitions, bombs and other explosive were kept.

The central ammunition depot at Pulgaon is India's biggest ammunition depot as stocks, including bombs, grenades, shells, assorted rifles and other explosives from various factories comes here first and is then distributed to various forward areas.

Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar yesterday expressed grief over loss of lives and said that the officers scarified their lives in effort to minimise damage.

"Deeply pained at loss of lives, they sacrificed their lives and managed to contain fire." Parrikar said. (ANI)