Badmala ordnance factory catches fire; heavy loss reported

Badmala (Balangir): A major fire broke out at a godown at the Unit No-15 of the Badmala Ordnance Factory causing heavy damage to defence equipment and explosives.

Sources said the blaze might have spread into the ordnance factory godown out of the fire at the nearby forest last night. Though the officials of the factory could not be contacted, sources said the fire had caused heavy damage to godown as well as defence equipment, especially the ones imported from Russia.

Fire brigade units from Balangir, Saintala and Titlagarh were pressed into service. Eyewitnesses said five fire tenders went into the premises of the ordnance factory to douse the fire. However, till filing of this report, the fire was still to be extinguished completely.