3 killed in Dombivli tanker blast

Three workers were killed and two injured in a blast at a chemical tank scrap godown in Dombivli on Friday.

The powerful explosion flung a 450-kg tanker’s iron lid into the air and it landed a kilometre away in Aravli. 

Vijay Kumar Gupta, 38, Kailash Kumar Rajbhar, 55 and Mehanatilal Yadav, 33, died in the blast.
The blast impact threw Yadav 1.5km away from the spot near the Regency area. Ramtirth Hariman Sahni and Shivprasad Sharma have been seriously injured and are admitted to AIMS Hospital, Dombivli.

The police are yet to ascertain the number of people in the godown during the incident.

The godown, built on the same premises as the residential area, used to buy old and damaged tankers from private chemical firms, dismantle them and sell the parts.

NK Bankar crime police inspector of Manpada police station said: “We have arrested Ganpat Gaikar, the landlord and sarpanch of the area. We will investigate about the contents in the tankers which led to the blast.”

More than six fire engines rushed to the spot to douse the fire. The area was evacuated in a few minutes. The fire was brought under control in an hour.

A tanker flew into the air and landed 100m away in Telanga Housing Society at Dawdi naka, Dombivli (East).

All 25 houses developed cracks after the blast and the roofs were also damaged. Six houses were completely damaged and the families are yet to get compensation.

A resident of Telanga society, Yogesh Savaisarje, 25, said 10 people were inside the godown when the blast took place.

“I was on the way to my office when I heard a loud sound. I rushed home to see cracks in walls the roof was damaged. The sky was covered with smoke. We were unable to breathe for more than an hour,” he added.

Savaisarje added that the housing society is very old and the sarpanch has not allowed them to build public toilets.

Ramchandra Jaiswal, 30, another resident of the society, said he saw a tanker flung into the air at a height of 35 to 40ft. 

“The blast was so loud that my ears are still paining. Smoke is still billowing out of the tanker, which landed in front of us. The property is illegal and I don’t know why the owner is being allowed to carry such dangerous work in a residential area,” added Jaiswal.

Later, officials from Kalina forensic lab came to examine the spot.

“We have collected samples to ascertain the chemicals,” said an offcial.

NK Bankar, police inspector of Manpada police station, said: “Ganpat Gaikar will be produced in court tomorrow. Some residents have got minor injuries.”

Case has been registered against seven people —  Gaikar, Vijay Gupta (dead),  Kailash Rajbhar (dead), Ramtirth Sahni (injured) and Shivprasad Sharma (injured). They were allegedly partners in the business.

They have been charged under sections 304 (2) (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt by endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by endangering life or personal safety of others), 427 (mischief causing damage).