A deadly explosion rocked the Solar Group’s defence and commercial explosives manufacturing complex in Chakdoh, near Bazargaon, early Thursday morning, killing one worker and injuring 10 others. The incident took place around 12:30 am, nearly 40 km from Nagpur, and is the second major blast at the facility in just two years.
The deceased has been identified as Mayur Ganvir, a resident of Chandrapur, who was inside the building at the time of the explosion. He reportedly died after being struck by an iron rod propelled by the blast impact. His post-mortem is being conducted at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Nagpur.
Authorities said the force of the explosion was so intense that debris of cement and heavy machinery landed on the Nagpur-Amravati highway, while the shockwaves shattered mirrors and windows in nearby villages. Two of the injured workers were seriously hurt by flying debris, while others suffered minor to moderate injuries.
The injured have been named as Kailas Verma, Manish Verma, Sunny Kumar, Arun Kumar, Atul Madavi, Saurabh Dongre, Tejas Bandhte, Suraj Gutke, Akhil Bawne, and Dharmpal Manohar. Seven of them remain in intensive care. Officials noted that a fire alarm went off moments before the blast, giving workers valuable time to evacuate and preventing a much larger disaster.
This is not the first such incident at Solar Group’s facility. In December 2023, a blast at the same plant claimed nine lives, including women workers, sparking questions about safety compliance at the explosives giant.
Solar Group holds nearly 24% of India’s explosives market and operates the world’s largest single-location cartridge manufacturing plant in Nagpur. The company also manufactures detonators, detonating cords, and defence-related products. In March this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Loitering Munition Test Range at Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd, a subsidiary of the group.
In an official statement, the company said: “On 04.09.2025 at 12:33 AM, there was an explosion in the Crystallization Building during the crystallization process of an energetic material at Solar Industries India Ltd, Chakdoh. The deluge system was activated, and people in the area were evacuated as per emergency protocol before the blast occurred. Despite this, one person died and eight others were injured due to the shock impact. First aid was administered, and the injured were shifted to hospitals. All buildings were cleared and evacuated as per safety protocol.”
With back-to-back explosions in less than two years, residents and workers are raising urgent concerns over safety standards at the plant. Questions remain on when stricter accountability will be enforced to prevent further loss of lives.
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