Thane blast: Toll reaches 11, boiler was unregistered says government
The death toll from the explosion at a chemical factory in Maharashtra's Thane district rose to 11 on Friday after three more bodies were recovered. The incident—which occurred on Thursday afternoon in the Dombivli MIDC complex—involved multiple boiler blasts and injured over 60 people. According to the National Disaster Response Force, the explosions occurred within a boiler at Amudan Chemicals Private Limited likely because of its use of highly reactive and unstable peroxides—which can cause blasts under specific conditions.
Boiler not registered: Industries and Labour Department
An investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the explosion. According to reports, multiple drums filled with chemicals exploded in succession, igniting a massive fire—which took eight hours to douse. Police have charged the owners of the factory with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Additionally, state's Industries and Labour Department revealed that the boiler in the factory was not registered under the India Boiler Regulations, 1950.
Sequence of explosions, immediate aftermath
The first explosion occurred around 1:40 pm, followed by several more blasts. At the time, ten employees were present in the factory: the manager, six workers, and three watchmen. The explosions shattered glass panes and caused damage to rooftops within a 4-km radius, leading to panic and injuries among residents. Smoke billowed from the site as a large fire spread to neighboring factories, including Amber Chemical Company, MKG, and Metropolitan.
₹5 lakh each compensation to kin of deceased
After the blast, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Minister Uday Samat, local MLA Raju Patil and other leaders visited the spot and assured support to the families of victims. A compensation of ₹5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased was announced. CM Shinde also announced the suspension of high-risk companies in the vicinity, urging them to either relocate or transition their operations to Information Technology or engineering. Separately, a high-level committee will be established to investigate industrial safety audits.
