A tragic incident at a high-security defence facility in Maharashtra has once again highlighted the deadly risks of trespassing into restricted areas. A 35-year-old man lost his life after being caught in an explosion near the Central Ammunition Depot (CAD) in Pulgaon, located in Wardha district.
Details of the Fatal Incident
The fatal accident occurred on Wednesday during an ongoing operation to dispose of old and unstable ordnance. According to police reports, CAD teams were systematically neutralising a batch of outdated explosives, a process that had been underway for nearly two weeks. The victim has been identified as Sandeep Motiram Tumdam, a resident of Kelapur village.
Officials stated that Tumdam allegedly breached the secured boundary of the depot's disposal site. His motive, like that of many others before him, was to collect leftover scrap metal—valuable materials like copper, brass, aluminium, and iron that remain after controlled detonations. Seeking cover behind a tree, he was tragically at the site when a sudden and powerful blast occurred, killing him instantly.
A Persistent and Deadly Problem
This is not an isolated event. The civilian's death has revived serious concerns over repeated incursions by locals into the highly restricted zone. Residents from surrounding villages, including Sonegaon, Chikni, Deoli, and Kelapur, are routinely drawn to the site by the prospect of gathering scrap metal, despite knowing the extreme dangers and a history of earlier accidents in the same area.
An eyewitness from a nearby village described the terrifying moment of the explosion. "We were far away, but the sound was frightening. The intensity shook the ground. Smoke covered the area within seconds," the villager said, adding a sobering warning: "People come here for scrap, but today everyone saw how risky it is."
Official Response and Safety Appeals
Authorities maintain that CAD personnel follow all mandated safety procedures during disposal exercises. However, they emphasise that continued civilian intrusion makes the vast zone exceptionally difficult to secure completely. The lure of quick money from scrap metal consistently overrides official warnings and physical barriers.
In the wake of this latest tragedy, authorities have issued a renewed and urgent appeal to residents of all adjoining villages. They are being warned in clear terms to stay away from active and former disposal locations. A single lapse in judgement around unstable explosive remnants can prove instantly fatal, as this incident devastatingly demonstrates. The appeal underscores that no amount of scrap metal is worth the irreversible cost of a human life.
