Massive blaze guts chemical factory in Mahad, no one hurt

A massive fire broke out at a chemical plant of a private company in the MIDC area of Mahad on Thursday. No one was injured in the incident. However, the fire brigade officials took over seven hours to douse it.

According to the police, the chemical plant belongs to Privi Organics India Limited, which develops custom-made aroma chemicals as per the requirement of their customers.

“The fire broke out around 1.10 pm when most of the workers were out for lunch break. The few people who were still working inside it, came out to safety before it was too late,” said Abba Saheb Patil, senior police inspector of Mahad MIDC police station.

“The chemical tanks placed in the factory exploded after they caught fire, causing the fire to spread more rapidly. Within a few minutes, it engulfed a huge part of the plant,” another police officer said.

Around fifteen fire tenders from Chiplun, Khed, Raigad and the nearby areas were rushed to the spot.

“After seven hours, the firemen managed to douse it around 7.30 pm. They began with the cooling operations soon after, which continued for several hours,” said Pankaj Giri, assistant police inspector of Mahad MIDC police station.

“The reason behind the fire is still not clear. An electric short circuit may have caused it. The value of the property damaged in the accident is yet to be assessed,” he further said.

Fire in Santacruz garment shop kills one

Sagar Pillai

A fire broke that broke out in a garment shop at Santacruz on Thursday early morning, left one person dead and another injured. Mahesh Narayan, 22, who’s condition is said to be stable now, received some burn injuries, while the identity of the deceased is still unknown. The fire took place in a garment shop which was near Milan International Hospital.

The disaster management department received a call around 4.50 am, after which fire extinguishing vehicles were sent to the spot immediately. The fire was doused within few minutes. Narayan was rushed to the nearby Cooper hospital, where he is being treated. The cause of the fire is unclear but fire officials said that a short-circuit may have led to the fire.