Police have intensified action in the wake of the deadly explosion at an explosives manufacturing facility in Maharashtra’s Nagpur district, arresting nine directors of the company as investigations gather pace.

The arrests come a day after 18 workers were killed in the blast that ripped through the unit on March 1, according to news agency PTI.

The Kalmeshwar police have registered a case against 21 directors and shareholders of SBL Energy Limited under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Officials confirmed that nine directors have so far been taken into custody.

Superintendent of Police (Nagpur Rural) Dr Harssh Poddar said on Monday (March 2) that a preliminary report by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation and the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health had indicated safety lacunae at the company, PTI reported.

The explosion occurred at the detonator packing unit of SBL Energy Limited, a mining and industrial explosives manufacturer, on Sunday morning. The powerful blast claimed 18 lives and left 24 others injured, many of them critically.

Police said the impact was so severe that several bodies were charred beyond recognition, necessitating DNA sampling from family members to establish the identities of the deceased.

Investigators are currently questioning those arrested and are making efforts to trace the remaining accused named in the case.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a detailed probe to determine the exact cause of the explosion as authorities continue to examine possible lapses and accountability.