Explosives Storage Building in Vellore Collapses, Damaging Three Vans

Summary

A blast at an explosives godown in Arjunapuram village, near Gudiyatham town in Vellore district, caused the building to collapse and damaged three parked vans.

Incident Details

• Location: Arjunapuram village, K.V. Kuppam area, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu.
• Time: Around 2 a.m. on Thursday.
• Cause: Explosion of stored raw materials used for manufacturing explosives.
• Damage: Building collapsed; three vans parked nearby were severely damaged.
• Casualties: A calf was killed; no human injuries reported.

Background

• The godown was operated by S. Padmanaban (42), a stone quarry operator from K.V. Kuppam. He owned a large plot in Arjunapuram where he stored raw materials for explosives in a licensed godown.
• Earlier, a special police team from Katpadi had seized fire‑cracker raw materials from a house in Katpadi and stored them at this godown to prevent any untoward incidents.
• Approximately 50 kg of raw materials for explosives were stored in the godown.

Police Response

• Residents reported the explosion, prompting the K.V. Kuppam police and explosives experts from the district police to inspect the site.
• A case has been registered, and a probe is underway.

Practical Implications

• The incident highlights the risks associated with storing large quantities of explosive raw materials in residential or semi‑residential areas.
• Authorities may review licensing and safety protocols for explosives godowns in the region.

How to Verify

• Check the official police blotter for the case registration.
• Follow updates from the Vellore district police or the Tamil Nadu Home Department.

Meta

Explosives godown in Vellore collapses after blast, damaging three vans; investigation underway.

Keywords

"explosives godown", "Vellore blast", "Arjunapuram", "K.V. Kuppam", "S. Padmanaban", "quarry operator", "50 kg explosives", "district police investigation"