At least two individuals lost their lives and 45 others sustained severe injuries following a significant fire outbreak in the industrial zone of Dombivli due to a boiler explosion at the Amber Chemical Company. The explosion was so intense that the sound reportedly traveled up to 3km away from the site, accompanied by massive plumes of smoke. Cabinet minister Uday Samat promptly arrived at the scene, and firefighting operations continued for several hours. The minister expressed confidence in implementing a long-term solution for MIDC Dombivli.
The factory workers were promptly evacuated, and fortunately, there were no reports of casualties among them. The fire quickly spread to neighboring factories, prompting the evacuation of the entire area. A social media user even claimed that the windows in his residence were shattered by the force of the boiler blast.
Yasin Tadvi, head of the disaster management cell at the Thane civic body, informed the news agency PTI that the explosion occurred at the chemicals factory around 1.40 pm.
Deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, confirmed that eight individuals who were trapped on the premises have been successfully rescued. He also mentioned that arrangements have been made to provide medical treatment to the injured, with additional ambulances on standby. Fadnavis stated that he has been in communication with the Thane collector, who is en route to the scene. Furthermore, teams from NDRF, TDRF, and the fire brigade have been mobilized. Fadnavis concluded by expressing his hopes for the swift recovery of the injured individuals.