Three die, 60 injured in factory blast near Mumbai

An explosion tore through a chemical plant yesterday, killing three workers and injuring up to 60 others in Mumbai, officials said.The cylinder blast occurred around 11am, sparking a major fire at the manufacturing unit of Herbert Brown Pharmaceutical & Research Laboratories in Thane district, just north of Mumbai.“Three people have been declared dead and 30 to 35 were injured in the factory explosion,” Sukhada Narkar, a spokesperson for Thane police, said of the accident in Thane’s Dombivli area.“Saddened to know about the unfortunate & tragic incident that took place at Dombivli,” tweeted Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.The impact of the blast was felt up to a radius of 5km and glass panes on several buildings had shattered, Zee news channel reported.Water tankers and fire engines had been sent to the spot, and the area had been cordoned off.State Minister Eknath Shinde visited the site and promised the government would extend financial help to the injured and relatives of the dead.He also said the guilty would be prosecuted.Dombivli’s Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Ravindra Chavhan blamed the industries for not following the safety norms and said he had complained many times about it.He added that such chemical factories should be kept outside the city. He also said he would extend financial help to the victims’ relatives.Pooja Pasad, a 23-year-old woman who lives in a colony a few kilometres away, said she felt the shock waves at home.Mahavir Nagar colony, which is within 1km radius too felt the impact and residents vacated the 12 building colony.India has a history of fires and other accidents at factories, sometimes because of a lack of safety measures and inspections.