Mumbai: The death toll in the massive explosion that destroyed a chemical factory in Dombivli on Thursday morning went up to 11 by Friday evening.
The explosion had occurred on Thursday morning in an industrial chemical manufacturing plant in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area in Dombivli (east), leading to a fire that raged on for several hours before it could be brought under control. By Thursday night, five people were confirmed dead and more than 100 had sustained injuries, out of which nine were in a serious condition.
Thane Police officials said that five more bodies were pulled out of the debris on Friday, while one of the seriously injured victims succumbed to severe burns. The two sons and a daughter-in-law of Vishwas Vakatkar, the owner of the plant, were also among the deceased.
“The unidentified male whose body was pulled out of the wreckage on Thursday was identified as Sumit Vakatkar. The five bodies which were pulled out on Friday include Sumit’s wife Snehal and his brother Nandan, along with one other deceased identified as Sushant Kamble and two unidentified dead bodies. Umesh Kahar, who was admitted to the Icon Hospital and later referred to the Sion hospital, succumbed to his injuries on Friday, taking the toll up to 11,” said Police Inspector Sukhada Narkar, Thane Police spokesperson.
The police had on Thursday night registered an FIR of causing death and injury due to negligence against the management at the plant, and inquiries are currently being made into whether appropriate and ample precautions were being taken in the plant.