Alert mill electrician prevents disaster

It was quick thinking on Anand Jadhav’s part that prevented the major fire at the Gold Mohur Mill from spreading to adjacent areas.

It was quick thinking on Anand Jadhav’s part that prevented the major fire at the Gold Mohur Mill from spreading to adjacent areas.

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The mill is located in the densely populated Dadasaheb Phalke road in Dadar (East) and is surrounded by the Gautam Nagar slums, a blind school and Tata Mills.

Fifty-year-old Anand Jadhav has been working as an electrician at the mill for six years.

He is in-charge of the main-power grid of the mill’s structure. Jadhav had been staying on the mill premises.

On Wednesday afternoon, Jadhav was on duty when he heard a cylinder blast.

“I immediately rushed to the power board and switched off the mains. When I came out, I saw one part of the mill up in flames and within seconds I heard cylinder blasts, one after the other,” said Jadhav.

Jadhav’s timely action not only saved the fire from spreading, but also helped in controlling the fire.

“If the fire had reached the power board, fire fighting would have become very difficult,” Jadhav said.

“I tried to enter the mill structure to find out if there were any workers trapped inside but the flames were so strong that I choked and had to get away from the premises,” added Jadhav.

Jadhav said that around 50 workers were dismantling the structure when the fire broke out.