Muzaffarpur boiler explosion: PM Modi announces ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for kin of deceased

New Delhi, Dec 26: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed grief at the loss of lives in a boiler explosion at Muzaffarpur in Bihar and expressed condolences to the families of victims.

Modi approved an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of the deceased.

The injured would be given Rs 50,000 each, the PMO said. He wished speedy recovery to the injured.

Seven persons were killed and as many were injured when a boiler explosion inside a factory here brought the structure down and left many buildings in the vicinity severely damaged, a top official said.

District Magistrate, Muzaffarpur, Pranay Kumar said the boiler blast took place around 9.30 A.M. inside a unit at Bela industrial area that manufactured noodles and other snacks. The sound was heard far and wide and the rooftops of many other buildings in the area were blown away by the impact of the explosion which reduced the factory to rubble, said the DM.

Officials of the local administration, police, and fire department rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations. Seven bodies were pulled out of the debris and sent for post mortem. Seven persons, who have sustained serious injuries, are admitted to the SKMCH referral hospital where their condition was said to be critical.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex-gratia of Rs four lakh for the next of the kin of each deceased and constituted a team to investigate the cause of the blast and fix accountability.

According to the Muzaffarpur DM, three of the deceased have been identified and cheques of the compensation amount have been handed to their family members

"Efforts are on to identify the remaining deceased. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF0 personnel assisted the administration in clearing the debris and we can say that there are no bodies trapped therein", he added. PTI