“I Thought I Would Die”: Survivor Recalls Horror of Umred Factory Blast

Nagpur: A devastating explosion at a factory in Umred MIDC on Friday evening turned an ordinary workday into a scene of horror, killing five workers and leaving several others critically injured. Among the survivors is Manish Wagh, a 21-year-old worker, who now lies bandaged with 40% burns in a special hospital ward in Government Medical College & Hospital (GMCH), struggling to process what happened.

"It was a normal day, like any other," Wagh recalled, his voice barely steady. "We were in the PT section where the polishing work is done. Just behind us, a couple of workers were loading something into the mixing machine. We had no idea what was about to happen."

Around 6pm, a sudden blast tore through the air. "God knows if it was the mixture machine or something else in the PT section — but out of nowhere, there was this loud explosion," he said. "Flames came at us from behind, so fast, we didn't even see it. We were thrown to the ground as if someone pushed us with its entire strength."

The force of the explosion burned through everything in its path. "There was nothing left on our bodies — our clothes were completely gone. Only a small piece of my shirt around the neck survived," Wagh said. "It was pitch dark, full of smoke. We couldn't see anything or understand what had happened."

The memory is hazy, but the pain is sharp. "All I remember is the heat, the fire, the pain. We didn't even get a moment to react. One second we were talking, and the next, everything was gone."

Inside the hospital's special burn ward, the aftermath was visible on every bed. At least five-six men, all severely burned, lie in silence. Some are unconscious, others unable to speak. Family members sit by their sides, helpless, with mothers and fathers with teary eyes just sitting there, wishing they could take their sons' pain away.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the explosion. For survivors like Wagh, recovery will take time — not just physically, but mentally. What was meant to be just another shift at work became a day that changed their lives forever. MSID:: 120234855 413 |