A major blast in a chemical factory in Dombivli led to a massive fire that killed at least three people and over 100 others suffered injuries. The fire broke out after a massive explosion in the Acharya chemical factory in Dombivli area of Thane district. The Acharya factory is situated at MIDC Phase 2, some 50 kms from Mumbai CST. After the tragedy, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to the authorities and asked them to provide all possible relief to the victims.
According to preliminary reports, the blast occurred in a boiler room of the Acharya Chemicals factory. “We have learned about three workers dying in the incident but are further confirming this. Fire tenders, water tankers and ambulances are currently at the spot,” said Joint Commissioner of Police Ashutosh Dumbare, Thane police.
Along with the said company, MIDC officials confirm that six companies nearby have also been severely damaged. While there the amount of damage and casualties are yet to be ascertained, reports suggest that the blast was so huge that window panes in buildings located nearby were shattered.
The blast was so huge that shock waves were felt in a radius of 3-4 kilometres from the site with many residents reporting that window panes of their homes and offices got shattered by its impact.
Officials have sealed the immediate periphery of the factory to ensure that rescue work is carried out unhindered.
Aditya Patwardhan, who works in a nearby company, said: “We all got scared…thought it was a bomb explosion…I was shocked to see that the window panes were broken and that the cracks appeared in walls.”
Local residents said that the explosion shattered window glasses of houses and establishments as far as two kilometres from the factory.
“My sister stays three minutes away from the factory. Every window in her house has been reduced to powdered glass. People are scared and confused. There is chaos everywhere,” said Raju Nalawade, a resident of a nearby locality, Milaap Nagar.
CM Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the tragedy and assured that every possible relief and assistance will be provided to victims. “Spoke to police officials & local authorities and asked them to speed up the relief operations. We are constantly in touch with the local administration and we would leave no stone unturned in our efforts & relief operation,” Fadnavis tweeted.
