BELAGAVI: The death toll in the tragic boiler explosion at the Inamdar Sugar Factory near Marakumbi village in Bailhongal taluk of Belagavi district has risen to seven, after four more injured workers succumbed to their injuries in a private hospital on January 8. The incident has triggered widespread outrage, with families of the deceased staging protests and accusing both the state government and factory management of negligence and apathy.
The explosion occurred on January 7 under the jurisdiction of the Murgod police station while repair work was underway at the factory owned by industrialist Vikram Inamdar. During wall repair work near the boiler section, a sudden explosion occurred, causing boiling sugarcane juice to spill onto the workers on site. Eight workers sustained severe burn injuries in the mishap.
Initially, three workers died due to critical burns, while the remaining injured were rushed to a private hospital in Belgaum under emergency “zero traffic” arrangements. However, despite intensive treatment, four more workers died on Thursday, taking the total death toll to seven. One of the workers reportedly died without receiving timely treatment, further intensifying anger among the victims’ families.
The deceased have been identified as Akshaya Topade, Deepak Munavalli, Sudarshan Banoshi, Manjunath Madivalappa Kajagar of Aravalli village in Bailhongal taluk, Bharatesh Saravadi of Godachinamalki village in Gokak taluk, Manjunath Teradala of Athani town, and Gurupadappa Tammannavar of Mareguddi village in Bagalkot district. All were employed at the sugar factory and were engaged in maintenance-related work at the time of the accident.
Families demand accountability and compensation
As news of the rising death toll spread, family members of the deceased workers gathered outside the hospital mortuary and staged a protest, demanding immediate compensation and accountability. The grieving families expressed deep anger, alleging that neither the factory management nor the state government had shown concern for the victims or their dependents.
“The factory management has not come forward to take responsibility, and the government has remained silent. We will not take the bodies until proper compensation is announced,” said a relative of one of the deceased workers. The families have refused to accept the bodies, staging a sit-in protest in front of the mortuary.
They demanded compensation proportional to each family’s loss, including financial support, employment for a family member, and assurances of accountability for safety lapses. The protest has drawn attention from local residents and labour organisations, who have also called for strict action against those responsible.
Questions over safety and negligence
The incident has raised serious questions about industrial safety standards at sugar factories in the region. Workers’ unions alleged that safety protocols were ignored during repairs and that adequate protective measures were not provided to labourers engaged in hazardous operations.
Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion. Officials said they would record statements from factory staff, contractors, and management representatives to determine whether negligence or a violation of safety norms led to the tragedy.
District authorities have assured that the matter is being taken seriously and that appropriate action will be initiated based on the investigation report. However, with the death toll climbing and protests intensifying, pressure is mounting on the government to announce immediate relief and ensure justice for the victims’ families.
