Dombivli boiler blasts: The explosions shattered glass panes and damaged rooftops within a 4-km radius.
The death toll after an explosion rocked a chemical factory in Maharashtra’s Thane district increased to 11 on Friday after 3 more bodies were recovered. More than 60 others have been injured in multiple blasts that occured on Thursday afternoon.
Dombivli blasts: All you need to know
1. Explosions occurred in a boiler at Amudan Chemicals Private Limited, a company owned by Malay Mehta that manufactures food colours, located in Phase 2 of the Dombivli MIDC area.
2. They used peroxides which are highly reactive and unstable chemicals that can cause violent explosions under certain conditions, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said.
3. The first explosion was reported at around 1:40 pm, followed by several more blasts. There were ten employees in the factory at the time: the manager, six workers, and three watchmen.
4. The blasts shattered glass panes and damaged rooftops within a 4 km radius, causing panic and injuries among residents.
5. Smoke billowed from the site as a massive fire spread to neighbouring factories, including Amber Chemical Company, MKG, and Metropolitan.
6. The impact of the explosion was such that an eatery named Ganesh Bhuvan in the vicinity suffered major damages.
7. Several drums filled with chemicals exploded one after another, triggering a massive fire. The state Industries and Labour Department said that the boiler in the factory was not registered under the India Boiler Regulations, 1950.
8. The fire was finally brought under control after nearly eight hours, but the cause of the explosion remains unknown. Police have booked the owners of the factory for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
9. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other leaders visited the site and assured support to the victims’ families. A compensation of ₹5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased has been announced.
10. CM Shinde announced the suspension of highly hazardous companies in the area, asking them to relocate or change their business to Information Technology or Engineering, and a high-level committee will be set up to investigate industrial safety audits.