Boiler explosion kills three in Dombivali

“It sounded like a bomb blast and before we could know what had happened,a metal sheet of about 300 kgs came crashing through my terrace and shattered my makeshift roof. My father was seated next to the roof but he escaped miraculously. The sheet was so heavy that it took six people to lift it later. There were more than eight people at my house preparing for a party at night for our 26th wedding anniversary,” said Mahesh Lahote,a businessperson.

Mahilan Yadav,35,who eked out his living as a driver lost his life when hit by a chunk of the boiler.

The explosion occurred when Vijay Ramkrishna Gaur (40) and Kailas Rajbhar (55) were trying to cut the boiler using a gas cutter in the godown in Davdi village near MIDC in Dombivali,fire brigade officials and Manpada police said. Gaur and Rajbhar were immediately thrown off and their bodies were charred.

Two other people working in the godown Ramkishan Sahani (35) and Vikas Sharma (38) suffered multiple injuries and have been admitted at AIMS hospital in Dombivali. They are in critical condition,police added.

The boiler,around 20 feet in height and cylindrical in shape,weighed more than 50 tonnes. The roofless godown was being used to store industrial scrap,police added.

Police have registered a case against Manoj Gupta,the owner of the godown,for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Police officers have also detained Ganpat Gaikar,the sarpanch of Davdi village. They suspect Gaikar had rented the place to Gupta. “Efforts are on to trace Gupta. We have learnt that the boiler contained chemicals when it was brought to the godown about three days ago,” said a police officer from the Manpada police station.

Family members of the deceased and the injured,natives of Uttar Pradesh,have been informed of the incident.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com