Mumbai: 3 dead as 40 blasts rock chemical factory

At least three people were killed and 15 injured when a series of blasts and a fire ripped through a chemical plant of a pharmaceutical company in Maharashtra’s Boisar near Mumbai late on Thursday.

Preliminary reports said the blasts occurred in 25 drums containing 200 litres each of solvent at Novephene Specialities’ plant in Boisar MIDC at 11:15pm.

Three unidentified bodies were found in a nearby factory of Arti Drugs when firemen entered the premises for cooling operations, Palghar SP Manjunath Singe said. The 15 injured, three of whom are critical, have been admitted in three hospitals in Boisar, Singe said, adding the number of casualties could go up.

Palghar district collector Prashant Narnaware, who reached the site early on Friday, said 40 blasts were heard from the plant. Police, fire, revenue and health personnel were at the spot carrying out rescue operations.

“It is clear that the said unit did not follow any safety precautions and due to an exothermic reaction, the blast occurred in the solvent drums. We are probing and the guilty will be charged under relevant sections of the IPC and we may recommend the government to cancel the manufacturing licence of the guilty units,” Narnaware said.

Four surrounding chemical units — belonging to Prachi Industries (manufacturing iodine), Bharat Rasayan, Arti Industries (manufacturing vitamins), Unimax and others — were either partially or completely destroyed. Tremors of the blasts could be felt 12km from the spot in Palghar, Mahim, Boisar and surrounding areas. Doors and glass panes of nearby houses were shattered.

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