Cops hint at negligence in SCCL blast

HYDERABAD: A day after an explosion ripped through Singareni Collieries killing four coal miners, ballistics and explosives experts took up a probe on Wednesday along with an investigation team of Ramagundam police. The experts would determine as to how and why the explosives had gone off though they had not been detonated in the first place.

Ramagundam commissioner of police V Satyanarayana did not rule out negligence.“Such a mishap cannot occur without negligence somewhere. The responsibility will be pinned on individuals after the explosives’ team files a report. We will not spare anybody — from the private contractor to those who are directly or indirectly responsible for enforcing regulations in Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL),” Satyanarayana told TOI. While cases under various IPC sections have been booked, relevant sections under the Explosives Act have also been included.
A private company that was given the contract was carrying out clearing of mud in the open cast mine-1 at Ramagiri mandal in Ramagundam where the blast occurred. Four workers died when the explosive slurry was poured for blasting boulders.
According to sources, the private firm is said to be placing an argument that there could be some fault with the detonators. The detonators were said to have been bought from IDL Explosives Ltd at Sanathnagar, Hyderabad. However, police, during a preliminary enquiry, found that detonators are checked at every stage before they are supplied to buyers. Since explosions are carried out meticulously, a technical team will have to monitor everything at the site until the execution.
Meanwhile, SCCL has informed former Nizamabad MP K Kavitha that an enquiry had been initiated by the director general of mines safety and also the internal safety organisation of SCCL.