MARGAO
Two days after a major fire and explosion engulfed the gunpowder storage unit at Naqueri-Betul, the authorities on Saturday evening have sealed the unit as a precautionary measure.
The sealing assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the fact that around 10-11 tonnes of gunpowder is still stored in magazine No. 2 at the site. The late Thursday night fire incident had hit magazine No. 1 of the storage facility.
Sealing of the storage facility was carried out by the Quepem taluka administration upon instructions from South Goa district Collector, Egna Cleetus.
The sealing of the facility comes a day after the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) had suspected the licences issued to the Verna-based company Hughes Precision Manufacturing unit for the storage of the propellant and the carriage of the gunpowder.
South Goa district Collector, Egna Cleetus informed that the gunpowder storage facility of Hughes Precision Manufacturing unit at Naqueri-Betul has been sealed as a precautionary measure. “We have found during the inspection carried out on Saturday by senior PESO official and other authorities that there is gunpowder still stored in magazine No. 2 at the storage unit. The storage unit is sealed as a precautionary measure,” the Collector stated.
The unit was sealed on Saturday evening after the district Collector issued instructions to the Quepem Deputy Collector after a joint inspection was carried out of the ill-fated gunpowder unit in the morning.
Besides the PESO official and district Collector, senior police and fire officials participated in the inspection of the site.
After the inspection, the Collector has issued directions to the police to secure the unit by posting personnel. The fire brigade has been told to station a fire tender at the spot till further orders.
