Two workers killed in Nashik factory blast and blaze, 14 injured

Nashik, January 1, 2023

At least two persons were killed and 14 others injured when a massive fire, following a deafening blast, engulfed a factory in Igatpuri in Maharashtra's Nashik district on Sunday, officials said.

The explosion and fire, reportedly in a boiler, in the Jindal Polyfilms Company's plant at Gonde village, was reported around 11.30 a.m.

Local eyewitnesses claimed that at least 250 workers were working in the premises but a majority of them managed to escape to safety.

Firefighting teams managed to rescue at least 14 injured and recovered the bodies of two workers.

The condition of at least four of the injured is critical, as per a medical officer.

Nashik Collector Gangatharan D. and Superintendent of Police, Rural, Sachin Patil reviewed the situation.

Aound a dozen fire tenders from Igatpuri and Nashik city reached the spot to battle the conflagration.

Huge clouds of grey and white smoke were visible from long distances away and the huge explosion shook many residents on New Year's Day in at least two dozen nearby villages.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Rural Development Minister Dada Bhuse - who is the Guardian Minister of Nashik district - reached the tragedy site.

Shinde announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the two deceased and said that the government would bear the full expenses of the medical treatment of the injured.

"This is a very big tragedy... I have ordered a high-level investigation into the incident," he said.

Later, the Chief Minister and Bhuse along with other officials visited the local hospital where the injured are admitted and spoke with them.

Union Minister for Health Bharati Pawar was monitoring the situation from New Delhi even as the blaze continued to rage in the factory complex.

IANS