Eight dead, 60 injured in fire after blast at chemical factory in Thane, say officials

Following an explosion and major fire at a chemical factory in Maharashtra's Thane district, eight people died while 60 others were injured. The explosion was heard several kilometres away, according to fire department officials.

"This incident took place at around 1.30 pm... 1.5 km away, the building in which I was present shook... I came to know that a blast had occurred... We have recovered 7 dead bodies... The vibration of the blast was experienced in an approximate radius of 5 km," said Civil Defence Officer Bimal Nathwani.

"Nearby companies have been damaged due to the boiler blast. Assessment by Collector and NDRF, and efforts for industrial safety are underway. Ambulances have arrived here and injured have been admitted to hospitals," said Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde on the blast.


"The four bodies recovered so far from the site were charred beyond recognition. The impact of the explosion and resultant fire affected at least five companies in the area," said Kalyan tehsildar Sachin Shejal to PTI.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced that the government will bear the expenses of the treatment of the injured persons, Samant told reporters. Shinde has also directed that the victims should be paid compensation within a week, he said.

According to the fire department officials, as soon as the information was received, a total of eight fire brigade vehicles were dispatched to the scene.

As per the preliminary information, many vehicles and many houses have been damaged due to the explosion at the spot.

Efforts are underway to control the fire with the help of firefighters at the incident site.

(more to come)