BARC blast leaves 2 scientists dead

Updated on: 30 December,2009 07:39 AM IST |
Bipin Kumar Singh |

Trainees were busy in the middle of an experiment when explosion occurred in lab

Trainees were busy in the middle of an experiment when explosion occurred in lab

A high-intensity blast at the modular laboratory building of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Trombay claimed the lives of two trainee scientists who were carrying lab tests around 12.05 pm yesterday.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the scientists Umang Singh and Bartha Bagh, in their late 20s, were carrying out a test, when the high intensity explosion occurred inside the lab, which was shortly engulfed in a big fire.

"We have our own fire-fighting facility at the BARC. It reached the spot in a very short time. The fire was brought under control in 45 minutes.

There were two casualties in the accident. Both the bodies are charred beyond recognition," said S K Malhotra, head, public relations, BARC.

Police sources revealed that both the bodies were sent to the BARC medical centre, and would be shortly dispatched to a Forensic science lab for postmortem, "The bodies are burnt badly.

It is really difficult to make out anything at this juncture. We won't be able to tell exactly what caused the explosion, as the matter is under investigation," said Ritesh Kumar, additional commissioner, eastern region.

Deaths At BARC

December 2002: Pramod Jogi (48), an assistant security officer, hangs himself to death.

He blamed Chief Security Officer G L Huriwal for his death.

September 2000: BARC employee Dada Ghurde (41) and his brother, Sharad, were arrested for killing Dada's wife.

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