Two people, including a woman, were killed and six others were injured in an explosion at a chemical factory in Khopoli in Raigad district on Thursday.
The incident occurred at 2.55 a.m. at Jashnova Pharmaceuticals and Specialists Private Limited located in Sajgaon industrial area.
According to the police, prima facie the reason behind the blast was a breakdown in reactor. The impact of the explosion could be felt within a radius of around two km.
“The watchman’s shed collapsed in the impact of the blast, killing his wife, and injuring him and their three children. Watchman of a neighbouring company was also killed after his shed too came crashing down,” senior police inspector Dhanaji Kshirsagar, Khopoli police station, said.
Around 12 fire tankers doused the blaze in four hours. The six injured, including the three children, have been taken to a civic-run hospital in Khopoli and are said to be stable.
The deceased have been identified as Bishnavi Krishna Nevpani (40) from Nepal and Anwar Raza Khan (48) from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
The injured are Krishnaprasad Nevpani (40) from Nepal and his children Aarti (12), Ashish (9), and one-and--a-half-year-old Akruti, and two labourers of the company identified as Sagar Ramesh Kondilkar (23) from Karjat and Nathu Pawar (30) from Roha.
