THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Thane, May 24: As rescue efforts to recover two missing people continue, the fatal death toll from the boiler explosion at a chemical factory in Dombivli has reached 10.
Siddhesh Kadam, the chairman of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, visited the scene on Friday and stated that efforts are being made to effectively wrap up the rescue mission as quickly as possible.
“There have been a total of 10 casualties here, with 2 people missing, so the rescue operation is ongoing. We are working to complete this rescue operation as soon as possible and dealing with the hazardous chemicals,” Kadam stated.
Following Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s directive, Kadam assessed the incident and deliberated on measures to avert future tragedies.
“I am here at the site today to review this tragic incident under the direction of the Chief Minister. He has given strict instructions to provide all necessary support for the ongoing rescue operations and to prepare a plan to swiftly relocate the hazardous chemical unit from here. After this visit, we will have a meeting with our officers to finalize the plan, which we will then present to the Chief Minister,” Kadam further stated.
Also Read- Eight Naxals killed in encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh
Explosion caused by lack of precautions
The explosion was caused, according to the Thane Police, by careless processing and storage of chemicals. The safety measures were insufficient
The explosion, which took place on Thursday at a plant in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area’s Phase Two, was loud enough to be heard from a distance of several kilometres.
Early reports suggested seven deaths and 48 injuries, with large fragments of the reactor dispersed up to a kilometre from the site.
Thane Police lodge case against factory owners
Meanwhile, Thane Police have lodged a case against Amudan Chemical Private Limited’s owners, Malti Pradeep Mehta and Malay Pradeep Mehta, along with other officials, under multiple sections of the IPC, including 304, 324, 326, 285, 286, 427, and 34.
The accused are currently on the run, and five police teams have been assembled to capture them.