Factory blast: Many may be trapped under debris, cops say

DOMBIVLI: While 129 people injured in the Dombivli boiler blast were taken to various hospitals on Thurdsay, the police suspected more people remained trapped under

DOMBIVLI: While 129 people injured in the Dombivli boiler blast were taken to various hospitals on Thurdsay, the police suspected more people remained trapped under the debris around Probase Enterprises, where the explosion took place.

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Ashutosh Dumbare, joint commissioner of police, Thane, said, “We suspect there are more people under the debris. The injured have been taken to five hospitals. We will now check whether the company followed the rules.”

Naresh Tamankar, a resident of Kalyan, said, “I have been searching for my brother, who worked at Probase, for the past two hours (1pm to 3pm). There is still no trace of him. His mobile phone is switched off and we are very worried. He had joined the company recently. We have checked all the hospitals he is nowhere to be found. The police are not helping us with any details about the incident.”

According to eyewitnesses, two women, whose identities are yet to be ascertained, were injured after they were flung from near Probase Enterprises to a perfume factory opposite it by the impact of the blast.

They are currently undergoing treatment at a hospital, where their condition is said to be critical.

Jagannath Shelkhe, a resident of Dombivli MIDC, said, “I was near the spot when the blast took place and came to know that two women were flung from near Probase Enterprises to a company across the road, which manufactures perfumes. A few other people and I took the injured women to hospital and helped rescue others from factories nearby. We saw human flesh scattered across the area. In all, six companies were affected by the blast.” Residents of the area, which houses many chemical factories, are no strangers to such incidents.

After Thursday’s explosion, many people l iving within three kilometres of the blast site remained locked in their homes and some even switched off their electricity as a precaution.