A catastrophic industrial accident at a flagship solar manufacturing unit in Nagpur on Friday claimed the lives of six workers and left nine others seriously injured. The tragedy unfolded when a colossal 36-foot-high water storage tank, with a capacity of 10 lakh litres, violently ruptured during a routine safety test.
The Torrential Onslaught at Butibori MIDC
The incident occurred around 11 am at the sprawling campus of the Avaada Group's solar module manufacturing plant in Butibori MIDC. The tank, one of five such structures on-site, was undergoing a staged leak test when it burst open, collapsing to the ground. Eyewitnesses described a terrifying torrent of water gushing out with overwhelming force, sweeping workers and debris into thick slush.
At the time, approximately 30 labourers were working around the tank, engaged in welding pipelines and other construction tasks. The sudden deluge left many trapped under twisted sheets of mangled metal, while others were buried in sludge. Fellow workers from nearby sections rushed to the chaotic scene, desperately trying to extricate their injured colleagues as screams for help filled the air.
Victims, Survivors, and Immediate Aftermath
Most of the victims were migrant labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, employed on a contractual basis. The youngest among the deceased was 19-year-old Bulat Kumar. Of the nine injured, three admitted at AIIMS Nagpur and the Government Medical College were reported to be in critical condition, with another worker in the ICU of a private hospital in Butibori.
Seventeen-year-old Harshal Masram, who drives a water-spraying tractor at the site, had a narrow escape. "I had just arrived when I saw what appeared to be a tidal wave. We fill our tractors with water from the same tank every day. Had I been there on time, I would have been one of the victims," he told reporters, having turned up for work 10 minutes late.
Nagpur Rural Police registered an accidental death case at the Butibori police station. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Harssh Poddar stated that operations at the unit were halted immediately. "The spot has been cordoned off and the district administrations of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are being contacted to inform the kin of the victims," Poddar said.
Safety Protocols and Investigation Under Scrutiny
Survivors and officials raised urgent questions about the safety protocols at the rapidly constructed facility. Workers questioned why welding and other tasks were allowed to continue in the vicinity while the tank was being filled for testing. "The area should have been cleared of workers," one survivor told media, indicating that concerns had been flagged but ignored.
Officials involved in the preliminary inquiry expressed surprise at the nature of the blast. "Water is generally considered to be the most stable element. It's surprising that the entire tank burst open. The entire investigation will depend on how the water tank burst," an official familiar with the inspection noted. Teams from the district industrial safety and labour departments conducted an initial inspection, and several gas cylinders used for welding were swiftly removed from the site to prevent further danger.
The Avaada Group's Butibori facility, promoted as a cornerstone of India's clean energy ambitions with an investment of about Rs 13,000 crore, has been described as the country's fastest-built "super factory" for solar equipment. The company declined to comment on the design or supplier of the failed tank. As the investigation proceeds, this tragic event casts a long shadow over the safety standards in India's rapidly expanding renewable energy manufacturing sector.
