Massive Blast at Thane Chemical Factory: Owners Detained

Authorities have detained Malti Pradip Mehta and her son Malay Pradip Mehta, owners of the chemical factory in Dombivli, Thane, following a massive blast that killed nine and injured over 60 people. The explosion, caused by improper handling of reactive chemicals, also caused significant property damage in the vicinity.

Police on Friday detained two owners, including a 70-year-old woman, of the chemical factory at Dombivli in Maharashtra's Thane district, where a massive blast killed at least nine persons and injured more than 60 others a day ago, an official said. The detained persons were identified as Malti Pradip Mehta and her son Malay Pradip Mehta, he said. The Thane police's crime branch, which is now probing the case, made the detention.

Malti Mehta was detained from Nashik, the crime branch said in a release. Malay Mehta (38), has also been detained and the local Manpada police have taken him into their custody from the crime branch, it said. An official from the Nashik police force said they had received information from their Thane counterparts that some of the accused were currently in Nashik. Accordingly, the crime branch officials carried out a search and held Malti Mehta, who is the first accused named in the FIR. The first information report (FIR) registered at the Manpada police station in Thane named owners/directors Malti Mehta, Malay Mehta and other directors, management staff and officials, who were supervising the factory. They have been booked for culpable homicide and other charges. The accused have been booked for culpable homicide (section 304), voluntarily causing hurt and negligent conduct with respect to combustible matter and explosive substances under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Besides the IPC, the police have also invoked charges under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Explosive Substances Act.

The company had not taken precautions over mixing of chemicals, final products, and their storage knowing well that any lapses might lead to an explosion which could affect and damage the company and structures around it, says the FIR.

These lapses led to the explosion on Thursday, resulting in deaths on the premises and companies around the factory, the FIR said. The impact of the blast was so severe that it shattered window panes of houses, and damaged cars, roads and electric poles in the factory’s vicinity, it said.

The affected chemical factory produced food colours and used peroxides that are highly reactive and unstable chemicals that can cause violent explosions under certain conditions, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which was involved in the rescue operations, had said on Thursday. The blast was so loud that it was heard a kilometre away, an eyewitness said.