Thane: The FIR lodged in connection with the explosion at a chemical factory in Dombivali in Maharashtra’s Thane district has alleged that the factory owners did not take precautions in mixing and storing chemicals despite knowing that any lapse could lead to an explosion.
Nine people have died and more than 60 people have been injured in the explosion in the factory. The FIR names the company’s owners/directors Malti Pradeep Mehta, Mayal Pradeep Mehta and other directors, management staff and officers who were responsible for monitoring the factory. A case has been registered against them under culpable homicide and other charges.
The Manpada police in Maharashtra’s Thane district registered an FIR at around 1.50 am on Thursday, nearly 12 hours after the blast at the Amudan Chemicals unit located in Phase-2 of Dombivali MIDC area.
According to the FIR, some more people may also be trapped under the debris of the factory that collapsed due to the boiler explosion.
The accused have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder (Section 304), voluntarily causing hurt and negligence with respect to inflammable and explosive substances.
Apart from this, the police have also filed charges under the Public Property Damage Prevention Act and the Explosive Substances Act. The FIR states that the company did not take precautions while mixing chemicals, making the final product and storing them, despite knowing that any kind of mistake could lead to an explosion and this could affect and damage the company and its surrounding structures.
These lapses led to the blast on Thursday, which resulted in the deaths of people in the factory premises and nearby company premises, it said. It said the blast was so powerful that it shattered windows of houses and damaged cars, roads and electricity poles around the factory.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which is assisting in the rescue operation, had said on Thursday that the factory produced food colours and used ‘peroxide’, which could cause an explosion under certain circumstances.