E-Paper
Two killed, 17 injured in fire after blast at Nashik chemical plant
According to the district police authorities, the fire broke out at the manufacturing unit located in Mundhegaon industrial area after a boiler explosion which left many workers trapped
A massive fire at boiler of Jindal Poly Films factory unit in Igatpuri tehsil of Nasik District left two plant workers dead, while 17 others have been seriously injured on Sunday afternoon amid search operation was on till late evening to see if anyone is trapped inside the premises.
According to the district police authorities, the fire broke out at the manufacturing unit located in Mundhegaon industrial area after a boiler explosion which left many workers trapped. Mundhegaon is located about 30 km from Nashik and 130 km from Mumbai.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the injured in hospital and also reviewed fire fighting efforts at the industrial unit. “Material used inside factory is highly inflammable. There have been two deaths in the incident while 17 persons are injured and hospitalised at various places,” said Shinde during his visit.
Being Sunday and the first day of new year, there were fewer people working inside the industrial unit, locals said.
CM Shinde announced ₹5 lakh ex-gratia to kin of those who died and ordered high level probe to ascertain the cause of the incident as well as steps to prevent such incidents in future.
The fire broke out at around 11:30 am after a loud explosion. The sound of explosion was so strong that it was heard in 20-25 nearby villages leading to panic amongst the villagers
According to the police, the two women were charred to death and also due to severe breathing issues as a result of thick smoke in the area.
Nasik Range Inspector General BJ Shekhar Patil said, “Of the 17 persons injured four are in critical condition and being treated in Intensive Care Unit. Efforts are underway to douse the flames but since it is a chemical factory, things are a bit challenging before the firefighters on the ground. There was initial vapourisation which led to fire and the incident took place around 11.30 am,” he said.
“Pressure leakage led to sudden fire. There were eight persons inside the plant on different floors. We were three persons who came under fire attack due to pressure inside the boiler. All we could see was smoke and ran to safety,” said a labourer.
Considering the intensity of the blaze, a helicopter of Indian Air Force unit in Nashik district was activated to rescue those trapped and assist the fire brigade in their rescue operation.
“This was an automatic plant and hence human resources were less, so fortunately not many were trapped when fire broke out. Efforts are on to rescue all and after fire is brought under control, fire brigade officials will enter the premises,” Shinde said in the evening when blaze could not still be brought under control despite large number of fire-fighting systems from nearby station.
According to Jindal group website, the manufacturing plant at Nasik district is the one of the largest facility for the production of BOPET and BOPP films.
“A blast led to the fire in which two persons have died. There are 17 persons injured and admitted to hospitals. The condition of four of the injured people is serious,” divisional revenue commissioner Radhakrishna Game said.
“Normally, 20 to 25 people work in the plant. But, as it was the first day of the New Year, the number was less on Sunday. There is huge grass grown in the premises and inflammable material is lying everywhere, our first aim is to control the fire. The exact reason behind the blaze is yet to be ascertained. It will take some time,” Game added.
Minister of Health and Family Welfare of India Dr Bharati Pawar who reached the spot said, “Unfortunately many people have been injured and two have died. The State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force also arrived to assist the people on ground in fire-fighting operations. All the government officers are present at the spot.”
