At least 12 people were feared killed and 58 others injured in a major explosion in a chemical factory in Maharashtra’s Dhule district on Saturday morning.
At least 100 workers were present inside the factory, located in Waghadi village in Shirpur taluka when multiple cylinders exploded, a senior police officer told PTI.
“The blast rocked homes and buildings in its surrounding and was followed by a huge fire with clouds of black smoke billowing out,” said Shirpur Police Station official Sanjay Ahire.
8 feared dead and 43 injured in chemical explosion in dhule maharashtra pic.twitter.com/kSxDCRw1LY
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Police teams along with other agencies rushed to the explosion site to help in the relief and rescue operations. Various teams of police, disaster management, the fire brigade are conducting rescue operations.
According to the police, over two dozen people have been injured in the blast.
Given the intensity of the blast and the fire that followed it, the number of casualties may go up.
Last year, at least three people perished in a massive explosion at a chemical factory in Boisar-Tarapur industrial estate of Maharashtra’s Palghar district.