On Friday, a major blast in the reactor of a drug-manufacturing company at Tarapur MIDC killed five and injured 18 people.

Moreover, the dead are the employees of Aarti Drugs Limited, exporter and importer of ointments and drugs, which is located in Tarapur Chemical Zone MIDC area and that the roof and glass panes of the building were shattered and the structure collapsed.

According to an official, some employees are feared buried under the debris and the rescue operation will continue and that the police have kept military posts off the area. In fact, Four fire engines were pressed into service and the fire extinguished after two hours. 

Fact-fully, more than 70 employees were working in the company when there was an explosion in the reactor which injured some workers and people struggled to get out, leading to a stampede-like situation.

According to Uttam Sonawane, who is a senior police inspector, Boisar MIDC, five workers died of severe burn injuries and that the workers were producing Methyl Nitro Imitazole when there was a blast during nitration reaction as brownish smoke were seen before the explosion.

While Vinayak Dhumal, who is a local resident said that the blast is one of the major ones in the industrial zone of Tarapur MIDC, was also felt in the villages within a 10km radius. 

In fact, Sonawane said that they are waiting for the post-mortem reports and the reports from Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health and will accordingly register a case against the company officials. He continued saying that they are yet to confirm the exact reason behind the blast and that the fire brigade officials have noted that the progressing blast in the seven reactors resulted with major fire in the company.

It's always been a life threatening job!

(AW:Samrat Biswas)