India: Tarapur Chemical Factory Blast Kills 3

Three labourers were killed and 15 others injured when a series of blasts and a fire ripped through a chemical plant that spread to four adjoining units in Tarapur Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) in Palghar near Mumbai on March 8.

According to news reports, the explosion happened at Novaphene Specialities Pvt. Ltd.’s plant where 25 drums containing 200 litres of solvent each were stocked in the open, Palghar district officials said. The plant manufactures speciality chemicals and cosmetic preservatives dealing in high-purity acid and acid anhydrides.

The survivors told police that there were nearly 40 explosions. Tremors were felt up to around 12 kms away with residents reporting instances of glass windows and doors shattering.

Four surrounding chemical units –belonging to Prachi Industries (manufacturing iodine), Bharat Rasayan, Aarti Industries (manufacturing vitamins), Unimax and others – were either partially or completely destroyed. Within 15 minutes, the fire spread to around one acre. The MIDC area has over 1,100 highly flammable units.

“It is clear that the unit did not follow any safety precautions and due to an exothermic reaction, the blast occurred in the solvent drums. We are probing and the guilty will be charged under relevant sections of the IPC and we may recommend the government to cancel the manufacturing licence of the guilty units,” Palghar district collector Mr. Prashant Narnaware was quoted as saying in news reports.