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Ammunition depot fire: More bodies recovered, death toll climbs to 19

A massive fire broke out at one of Asia's biggest ammunition depot in Maharashtra's Pulgaon yesterday.

Pulgaon: Two more bodies were on Wednesday recovered from the site of the fire mishap at central ammunition depot at Pulgaon in Wardha district, taking the death toll to 19.

Three persons were missing since yesterday. Two bodies have been recovered and one person is still missing, sources said.

Read: Blaze at arms dump: CAG had warned of fire

The bodies recovered today were yet to be identified, they said.

A massive fire yesterday broke out at one of Asia's biggest ammunition depot in Maharashtra's Pulgaon that houses the largest stockpile of weapons in the country.

The fire occurred in the wee hours yesterday at one of the sheds that housed "highly sensitive ammunition" in the high security central ammunition depot (CAD), spread over 7,000 acres.

Read: CAD fire: 130 tonnes of ammo worth Rs 100 crore gutted

"However, in efforts to douse the fire, two officers and 14 personnel (including one Army jawan and 13 civilian fire fighting staff) lost their lives and two officers and 15 personnel (including nine Army Jawans and six civilian fire fighting staff) were injured," Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen Ranbir Singh had said.

Loud explosions were heard one after the other as the raging fire lit up the night sky.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained and the Army has instituted an inquiry into the incident, Singh had said.

Read: No sabotage, cause to be known after inquiry: Parrikar on Pulgaon fire

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had said there was no sabotage involved in the fire at the ammunition depot but the exact cause would be known only after inquiry.

Parrikar along with Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag, had yesterday visited CAD, Pulgaon and met the injured persons in a local hospital.

( Source : PTI )
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