HYDERABAD: The country’s most important defence research institution, the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, was rocked by a major blast last week and a part of the complex was gutted in the massive fire caused by it. DRDL is a very sensitive defense establishment because here the country’s prestigious missile program is being developed. Even as the Security, aspect was, strictly. Being, maintained by the DRDU authorities.
It was impossible to ascertain the details and the nature of the incident as no one was being allowed inside the highly protected complex.
Major General R.R. Dagga said nobody was injured in the incident. About the blast, he said the grass on the campus caught fire and fed to the blast in the storage facility of the laboratory. He said that nothing can be said about it as the matter was still being examined. In the absence of the Director of the DRDL, Lt. General Dr. V.1. Sundaram, Maj Gen Bagea chaued the meeting of the inquiry committee in the morning to ascertain the cause of the blast.
The sources in DRDL said the blast has, left a deep crate at the site and a building in the complex has collapsed.
The blast was so powerful that it was heard within a radius of 10 km and alarmed hundreds of residents in surrounding areas as they thought it was a big earth quake. The huge fire which brightened up the night sky also added to the fear and panic in the city.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 5, 1996
