Gas cylinder explosion leaves one dead, another critical at ice factory in Odisha

One person died and several others were injured after a gas cylinder exploded at an ice factory in the Dharakote area of Odisha’s Ganjam district on Monday, officials said.

The deceased has been identified as Bideshi Pradhan, who was working as the chief technician at the factory. He succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment.

Blast At Factory

According to reports, the explosion occurred at an ice factory located at Patana Chhak under Dharakote police station.

Initial information suggests that four individuals were injured in the incident. Two of them sustained severe burn injuries of around 50 per cent and were shifted to Berhampur for treatment.

One of the critically injured persons, Bideshi Pradhan, later died while undergoing treatment, while the other injured person, identified as Ramesh Mohapatra, remains in critical condition and is undergoing treatment at Berhampur Medical.

Others Undergoing Treatment

The other two injured persons reportedly sustained minor injuries and were undergoing treatment at Aska Hospital. Their condition was stated to be stable at the time of reporting.

Authorities said the family members of the deceased had been informed about the incident and were on their way to the hospital at the time of reporting. The body will be handed over to the family after the completion of the post-mortem examination.

Cause Under Investigation

Preliminary reports suggest that the machine at the factory had not been cooling properly to form ice. The operators reportedly switched the machine off and on multiple times in an attempt to restart it, following which the machine suddenly exploded.

Questions have also been raised regarding the maintenance of the machinery at the factory. It is suspected that poor or delayed maintenance may have contributed to the blast.

Also Read: Gas cylinder blast leaves woman seriously injured in Balasore

Police Probe Underway

Police reached the spot after being informed and launched an investigation into the incident. However, officials said that documents related to the factory were still awaited as the owner of the factory was also injured in the explosion and had been admitted to the hospital.