SILCHAR (Assam) — Police have arrested five people, including the owner and manager of an iron casting unit, in connection with a deadly cylinder explosion that killed four workers and injured several others in Assam's Cachar district.
The factory owner, identified as Rakesh Kumar Surana, was apprehended in Guwahati on Monday and subsequently transported to the Udharbond Police Station in Cachar for detailed interrogation. Police officials confirmed that Surana faces charges of criminal negligence for failing to maintain adequate safety protocols and oversight mechanisms at the manufacturing facility.
Along with Surana, four senior staff members—including the unit's manager who was detained immediately following the incident—were formally placed under arrest on Monday.
Details of the Incident
The tragedy occurred on Sunday inside a shared industrial compound located in the Pangram area, under the jurisdiction of the Udharbond Police Station. Preliminary investigations suggest the blast was triggered by a gas leak from an LPG cylinder utilized during the high-temperature iron casting process.
The intense explosion caused immediate structural damage and trapped several laborers working in the vicinity. Four workers lost their lives in the mishap, while several others sustained varying degrees of burn and impact injuries.
The deceased have been identified by authorities as Kiran Munda, Appu Baraik, Shyamal Gour, and Sagar Nath.
Government Response and Ongoing Investigation
Expressing grief over the tragic loss of lives, the Assam Chief Minister's Office (CMO) announced a ex-gratia compensation of ₹5 lakh each from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the families of the deceased workers.
Local authorities confirmed that forensic experts are scheduled to inspect the blast site to collect chemical and structural evidence to establish the exact sequence of events leading to the leakage and explosion. Further legal proceedings and technical evaluations under safety and labor compliance laws are currently underway.
