New Delhi, March 1 : At least 17 persons were killed in a massive blast at an explosives factory in Maharashtraâ??s Nagpur district on Sunday, police said. The Prime Ministerâ??s Office (PMO) expressed grief over the tragedy and announced financial assistance for the victims.

In a post on X, the PMO said, â??The explosion at a factory in Nagpur, Maharashtra, is deeply distressing. My condolences to the families of the deceased. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. The local administration is assisting those affected. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM.â??

The blast occurred at the SBL Energy Limited factory, a mining and industrial explosives manufacturer, located at Raulgaon in Katol tehsil of Nagpur district. The impact of the explosion was severe, causing significant casualties and injuries. The injured were immediately shifted to hospitals in Nagpur for treatment, police officials said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis termed the incident â??extremely unfortunate and tragicâ??. In a post on X, he said, â??The incident of the explosion at an explosives factory in Raulgaon in Nagpur district is extremely unfortunate and tragic. I am in constant contact with the local administration. The District Collector and Superintendent of Police have reached the incident site immediately. NDRF and SDRF teams are also at the site. Teams from PESO and DISH have arrived. Rescue operations have been accelerated, and so far, 17 people have lost their lives. I pay heartfelt tribute to the deceased. We share in the grief of their families.â??

â??In this incident, 18 people have been injured. The injured have been promptly shifted to Nagpur. I pray at the feet of God for their swift recovery. Orders have been issued for a thorough investigation into this incident,â?? he added.

Rescue and relief operations are ongoing at the site, with emergency response teams working to clear debris and assess the cause of the blast. Authorities have initiated a detailed probe to determine the circumstances leading to the explosion.

/IANS