Two soldiers injured in cordite factory fire

Coimbatore: Five days after eight employees of the Cordite Factory Aruvankadu (CFA) in the Nilgiris district sustained injuries in an explosion, two sepoys of the Indian Army were injured when a fire broke out in a building of the Defence Security Corps (DSC) at the factory on Thursday.
The sepoys - Manoj, a native of Kerala, and Himanshu Mandloi, a native of Madhya Pradesh - were given first aid at the Cordite Factory Hospital and later shifted to a private hospital in Coimbatore.
In a press note, S K Chikkala, public relation officer, Cordite Factory, said there was a fire incident outside DSC Kote (keeper of technical equipment) building no. 286 during the construction of a shed around 11am. “Two sepoys were injured and their condition is stable. First aid was given to them immediately. They were then referred to a private hospital in Coimbatore for further medical management.”
He said the incident wasn’t related to the defence production and none of the factory employees were affected. “Situation is fully under control and all action has been taken as per the procedures.”
Following the incident, senior officials formed a board of inquiry. They would submit a detailed report, mentioning the cause of the fire, after a thorough inquiry. Based on the same, further course of action would be taken.
When contacted, the Aruvankadu police said two defence staff members sustained injuries while they were engaged in welding works at the DSC Kote building.
On November 19, eight employees of CFA, three of them women, sustained minor injuries in an explosion at a propellant manufacturing unit.