Blast at chemical waste dump in Taloja MIDC; 1 hurt
A worker was injured in an explosion at the Taloja Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area of Navi Mumbai on Monday morning. Police said the incident occurred at 8.15am, when the JCB machine, was digging a hole to dispose of toxic chemical waste. JCB machine’s excavator bucket hit the drum it was going to bury, resulting in a blast. The tremors caused were felt in the nearby villages, as far as Kalyan.
“The explosion was so massive, the JCB machine flew right out of the pit and landed upside down, a few metres from it," said supervisor Vidyakant Mishra. "Since I was away checking other operations, I escaped unhurt. However, the JCB machine driver , Santosh Patil, 42, sustained serious injuries," said Mishra.
The industrial waste collected from Mumbai and neighbouring places is dumped on Taloja MIDC land. Police said on Monday, when workers were dumping the chemicals that had been separated from the industrial waste on land owned by the Mumbai Waste Management Ltd, they realised there was an emission from one of the drums.
Mishra decided this drum would be kept aside, to dispose of it separately. As the JCB machine dug the hole and was placing the drum in the pit, the excavator bucket of the machine accidentally hit the drum, resulting in an explosion.
Three fire tenders were rushed to the spot to contain the flames. Patil was removed safely from the overturned machine and rushed to the Ashtavinayak Hospital. A doctor treating Patil said, "The driver sustained injuries in the face, stomach, torso and legs. Shards of glasses pierced into his body due to the explosion. He will be kept under observation for two days.”
Ajaykumar Landge, senior inspector of Taloja police station, said the machines and chemicals found at the spot were seized and sent for forensic analysis. “Teams from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, bomb disposal squad, forensic analysts and the anti-terrorism squad have intervened in the matter. and it is being investigated by Taloja Police. We are awaiting the reports,” said Landge.