The condition of three employees is said to be critical.

At least 16 people have been injured in an explosion at an ordnance factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district.

Officials said the blast occurred on Tuesday morning at the Central Security Institute Ordnance Factory in Khamaria, where bombs and explosives are manufactured. They said three of the injured people, who are employees of the factory, have been rushed to a private hospital for urgent treatment and their condition is said to be critical. 

A hydraulic system reportedly malfunctioned during the bomb-filling process in building 200 of the factory’s F-6 section, causing the blast, which was so powerful that it could be heard as far as five kilometres away. Residents living near the factory said they thought it was an earthquake and many also ran out of their homes. 

The factory’s general manager and other senior officials have rushed to the site but have not made any official statements yet.