Central ammunition depot fire: Two more bodies recovered, toll climbs to 18

PULGAON: Two more bodies were today recovered from the site of the fire mishap at central ammunition depot at Pulgaon in Wardha district, taking the death toll to 18.

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

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.

"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.

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.