India: CCTV footage shows moment when Dombivali boiler blast occurred

CCTV footage of the Dombivali boiler blast recently surfaced on the internet which showed the moment when the incident took place on Thursday (May 23) in the west Indian state of Maharashtra.

Four workers can be seen standing at a corner of the boiler plant, moments before the blast occurred.

Then after a loud thud happened, triggered by the blast, the broken pieces of glass flew in the air and the people immediately ran from the building to save their lives.

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The blast occurred in a chemical factory in the Dombivli area of Thane district in Maharashtra, which claimed the lives of 10 people. The rescue operation is still underway to retrieve two individuals who are reportedly missing.

The blast led to a massive fire in the area, cooling operations for which are still ongoing.

Siddhesh Kadam, Chairman of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, inspected the site on Friday (May 24) and said that the team was working to complete the rescue operation as soon as possible.

"There have been a total of 10 casualties here, with 2 people missing, so the rescue operation is ongoing. We are working to complete this rescue operation as soon as possible and dealing with the hazardous chemicals," Kadam said.

Maharashtra CM announces Rs 500,000 compensation for family of victims

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday announced a Rs 500,000 compensation for the family of the deceased and also ordered a high-level probe into the incident.

"A high-level enquiry will be conducted and an investigation will be carried out against the accused. No one will be spared. The kin of the deceased will be given Rs 500,000 each by the state government. The administration will sponsor the treatment of the injured... The company will also compensate the employees," CM Shinde told reporters.

"The intensity of the blast was very high. 6-7 neighbouring factories have been damaged. Residential properties have also been damaged. Highly hazardous companies such as this, which fall under the Red category, will be shifted... The government has decided to shift such factories to non-residential areas," he added.

Case registered against company owners

The Thane Police have also registered a case against the owners Malti Pradeep Mehta, Malay Pradeep Mehta, and other officials of Amudan Chemical Private Limited, under various sections of the IPC, including 304, 324, 326, 285, 286, 427, and 34.

All of the accused are absconding and the police have formed five teams to arrest them.

"The accused is absconding after a case was registered against the Mehta family and the owner of the Amudan factory. A total of 5 teams have been formed to arrest the accused and are tracing the accused," Thane Police said.

(With inputs from agencies)