Navi Mumbai MIDC fire burns down 5 companies; 2 of 3 injured in critical condition

The raging fire,which broke out around 2am, could be seen for miles and there were frequent sounds of explosions

fire broke out in a chemical factor in Navi Mumbai’s Khairne MIDC area and spread rapidly to four other factories in the area in the wee hours of Wednesday. Two of three people who suffered burn injuries are in critical condition.

The fire broke out shortly after 2 am on Wednesday, officials said. (Hindustan Times)

The injured have been identified as Mohammed Aslam Hussain, 55,Manikchand Gautam, 25, and Rajendra Prasad Chavan, 40.

The blaze reportedly burnt down all five factories – Alma Speciality Chemicals Pvt Ltd, Vaishnavi Ester Pvt Ltd, Narlabs, Excel Petroleum Pvt. Ltd. and Proton Bio Chem Pvt Ltd.

“The fire broke out shortly after 2 am at Alma. We rushed the MIDC fire brigades to the spot first, and called fire engines from Vashi, Airoli, CBD Belapur and Panvel,” said Surendra Choudhary, MIDC fire officer. “Fire engines from Mumbai, Thane and Reliance were also called in.”

The fire was brought under control by 6am, but cooling operations continued throughout the day. The cause of the fire is not yet known, Choudhary said.

Eye witnesses said the MIDC fire brigade was short of water, which caused a delay in operations, leading to the spread of fire.

“A few fire engines reached the spot, but soon ran out of water. It took 15 minutes for other vehicles. The fire had spread to two more factories by then,” said Akil Khan, an eye-witness.

“There was no delay. Since it was a huge fire, we called other fire stations. In fact, we ensured that the fire did not spread further,” said Choudhary.