Team Goemkarponn
QUITOL: Cuncolim police have filed a complaint against Hughes Precision Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd.’s management and employees at Verna Industrial Estate for allegedly breaking safety rules pertaining to the transportation and storage of propellant (gunpowder), which resulted in last Thursday’s explosion and fire at the warehouse’s Magazine No. 1. The accused has been charged by the police under Sections 5 and 6 read with Sections 9B and 9C of the Explosives Act, 1884, as well as Sections 223, 288, 326(g), and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Manohar L. Karekar filed a complaint on 20 March that served as the basis for the case, according to Cuncolim police. According to the lawsuit, the business disregarded the safety regulations and standing orders for handling explosives that were given out during the licensing procedure. The company unlawfully stored 11,000 kg of gunpowder in Magazine No. 2 on 22 March without acquiring the required permission from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), according to additional investigations. This was against the terms of the District Magistrate of South Goa’s November 12, 2024, Licence No. 34/01/2024/EXP/MAG/M.0.4555.
During the rescue operation at Magazine No.1, authorities have accused the firm of neglecting to notify police, fire officials, and other emergency responders about the additional explosives stock in Magazine No.2. Property and human lives were supposedly in danger due to the carelessness. Cuncolim police have shut the exhibits at the explosion site, while Salcete Mamlatdar has locked the godown where gunpowder was kept.
