One killed, four injured in blasts at chemical factory in Thane district

THANE: One worker was killed, and four others were injured after a series of explosions, which also triggered a fire, rocked a company manufacturing chemicals in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Thursday, an official said.

The injured workers have been admitted to a local hospital, he said.

The incident occurred around 4.30 am in an industrial pocket, said Yasin Tadvi, chief of the Disaster Management cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation.

According to Bhagwat Sonawane, chief fire officer at the Kulgaon-Badlapur Fire Services, the factory is located in the Kharvai MIDC area.

He said there were a series of loud explosions at the unit which also triggered a fire.

Drums filled with some chemicals exploded, causing the contents to spill onto tempos and vehicles parked outside, resulting in the vehicles catching fire, he said.

One worker was killed and four others were injured in the incident, he said. The injured are being treated at a local hospital.

Four fire engines from Ambernath, Badlapur and Ulhasnagar were rushed to the spot. The fire, which had spread to two adjoining units, was brought under control after about two hours, said Sonawane.

The explosions were so loud that they could be heard from a distance of one kilometre, he said.

The dead worker is yet to be identified, he said, adding that the cause of the explosions is still to be determined.