Two people died and one sustained injuries after an LPG cylinder exploded at an industrial plant in Khopoli in the early hours of Tuesday.
According to the police, the incident occurred at India Steel Works Ltd. around 1.15 a.m.. “The industry manufactures steel wires by processing scrap material. The blast occurred while the cutting of some scrap material involving steel rods was going on. Two workers died on the spot while another received 15% burn injuries and was taken to Criticare Hospital, Kamothe, Navi Mumbai,” senior police inspector Dhanaji Kshirsagar of Khopoli police station said.
The impact of the explosion was such that the sound was heard in a radius of one km and the bodies of the duo were torn into pieces. “The cause of the explosion is not clear,” Mr. Kshirsagar said.
The deceased have been identified as Dinesh Wamanrao Chavan (55) and Pramod Dudhnath Sharma (30), and the injured is Subhash Dhondiba Vanjale (55).
Chavan is survived by wife and a son, who is an engineer, while Sharma is survived by wife and a four-year-old daughter. While Chavan had been working as a fitter in the company for the last 22 years, Sharma, an engineer, had been overseeing the work in the plant for 10 years.
Anand Panmand, assistant general manager, industrial relations of the company, said, “Sharma supervised the work, and it seems while he was taking rounds, he got trapped in the explosion.” Sharma’s father and a brother also work in the same company, as a fitter and an engineer, respectively.
“We manufacture stainless steel and for that scrap material is cut into around two feet length before melting it. The workers were cutting the long steel rods in an open yard when the LPG cylinder exploded. How it occurred is yet to be found out. Around 36 people, including four security guards, were present when the incident happened. We will take care of the medical expenses of the injured and provide compensation to the family members of the deceased,” Mr. Panmand said.
The assistant commissioner of the Labour department, and officials of the pollution control board and the Revenue department visited the blast site.
