Belagavi, 7 Jan

A boiler explosion at a sugar factory in Belagavi killed three workers and left five others critically injured on Wednesday.

The tragedy occurred at Inamdar Sugar Factory located near Marakumbi village in Bailhongal taluk of the district while repair work was underway on a valve of the boiler installed in Compartment No 1 of the factory.

During the repair, the boiler suddenly exploded with great force, causing hot molli (hot slurry/molten residue) inside the boiler to splash onto the workers. As a result, several workers suffered severe burn injuries at the spot.  

Following the explosion, the injured workers were immediately shifted to KLE Private Hospital in Belagavi under zero-traffic arrangements facilitated by the police.

Doctors said emergency treatment is being provided, and the condition of some injured workers remains critical. Meanwhile, the deaths of three workers have been confirmed.

The deceased workers are Akshaya Topade, 45; Deepak Mannoli, 31; and Sudarshan Banoshi, 25. The remaining five injured workers are undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) at KLE Hospital. Medical officials expect the death toll to increase.

Police have registered a case and launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the boiler explosion, including whether there was negligence or lapses in safety measures as the labour unions demanded stringent checks.