Nagpur, Jun 13 (IANS): At least five workers were killed, and another eight injured when a massive blast ripped through an explosives manufacturing company in Maharashtra's Waddhamna town on Thursday, officials said.

The blast was reported at around 12 noon from the Chamundi Explosives Co. Ltd., situated on the Amravati-Nagpur Road, around 15 km from here.

Nagpur Commissioner of Police Ravinder Singhal told the media that at least five persons including 4 women, lost their lives in the tragedy and police teams have rushed to the site to probe.

Eyewitnesses said that the explosion was heard in a radius of several km followed by a fire with clouds of dark smoke billowing in the sky, alarming people in the vicinity, even as the nearby Hingna Police Station and fire brigade rushed teams to the factory.

The victims who are suspected to have perished instantly in the explosion have been identified as -- Pannalal Bandewar, 50 -- and four women, Vaishali Kshirsagar, 20, Prachi Phalke, 20, Pranjali Morde, 22 and Monali Aloney, 27.

Among the injured, including several women, the condition of at least one was described as very critical, and all have been rushed to a nearby hospital, while the cause of the explosion is being investigated.

This is the second major industrial tragedy in Nagpur in the past six months.

In December 2023, nine persons were killed in an explosion at the Solar Explosive Ltd factory.