3 dead, 45 hurt in Reliance plant blast

Three people are killed and at least 45 injured in a blast at Reliance Industries’ polyethylene manufacturing unit in Nagothane, Raigad district.

Three people were killed and at least 45 injured in a blast at Reliance Industries’ polyethylene manufacturing unit in Nagothane, Raigad district.

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While some of the injured were moved to Hurkisondas Hospital in Mumbai, many were being treated at the company hospital in Nagothane. Sources added that 10 of the injured were to be shifted to the National Burns Centre in Airoli.

Raigad’s Superintendent of Police PR Dighavkar, confirming the number of dead and injured, said: “Of these, eight are critical. We have registered a case against factory officials for causing death due to negligence.”

Reliance spokesperson Paresh Chaudhary said the company has announced Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of the dead and that it would take care of the treatment of the injured.

He said that one of the fatalities was a company employee, while the other two were employees of a contractor.

Earlier this week, there was a blast at the Panna-Mukta oilfield, which is jointly operated by Reliance, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd and British Gas. A British Gas employee died. In 2006, a fire at Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery killed an employee.