Dombivli factory blast: FIR says owners ignored safety concerns leading to deadly explosion

Site of Dombivli factory blast

The proprietors of a Dombivli chemical facility, where a blast killed nine people and injured over 60, neglected to take basic safety procedures despite being aware of the risks, according to the First Information Report (FIR).

The Manpada police have issued a FIR against company owners/directors Malti Pradip Mehta, Mayal Pradip Mehta, and other management staff. They are charged with culpable homicide, causing harm, and negligent conduct with flammable and explosive materials under the Indian Penal Code, as well as charges under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and the Explosive Substances Act, reported PTI.

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According to the PTI report, the Dombivli factory blast took place over 12 hours before the FIR was filed, blowing apart the Amudan Chemicals factory in Phase 2 of the Dombivli MIDC. The explosion was so powerful that it caused the factory to collapse, potentially trapping further victims beneath the wreckage.

According to the FIR, the firm, which made food colours and used extremely reactive and unstable peroxides, failed to follow proper chemical mixing and storage standards. These lapses resulted in the explosion, which not only killed and injured people on the premises but also destroyed nearby structures, shattered windows, and impacted cars, roadways, and electric poles, the report added.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) highlighted the factory's usage of peroxides, which can create severe explosions under certain conditions, as a contributing reason to the accident.

Amid his frantic search for his wife, who worked in the Amudan Chemicals factory in Dombivli, Amit Khanvilkar received a call asking him to visit the Shastri Nagar hospital in the area on Thursday.

Kin of deceased identifies deceased through ring

The husband of one of the deceased recounted his horror of having to identify his wife among those who died because of the Dombivli factory blast. Amit Khanvilkar (42) told PTI that he saw the bodies of two women that were charred beyond recognition and said that he miraculously kept it cool.

He told the news agency that at the hospital, he went blank as his eyes fell on one of the two deceased's fingers. He recognised the ring as belonging to his wife Riddhi Amit Khanvilkar (38), the mother of his 12-year-old son. Rddhi worked at Amudan Chemicals where a blast and resultant fire killed 9 and injured several. She had only been in the company's accounting department for three months.

With PTI inputs