A 48-year-old man was killed in a massive fire that broke out on Saturday evening at a chemical godown located at the Prerna Complex in Bhiwandi's Val village. At the time of going to the press, the blaze was still raging.
The deceased has been identified as Samadhan Bhojale, a resident of Kalyan, where he lived with his wife and son. He was employed at one of the chemical godowns in the complex. Preliminary probe suggested that a chemical drum exploded and flames engulfed Bhojale. Narpoli police station senior inspector Vijay Kadbane said, “He was identified with the help of a tiffin box and an Aadhaar card found nearby.”
According to fire officials, the blaze initially engulfed one godown but quickly spread to about a dozen adjoining units storing chemicals and powders. Multiple chemical drums reportedly exploded, intensifying the fire.
Fire officer Vijay Jadhav said, “Eight fire tenders were rushed to the spot from Kalyan, Ambernath, Thane, Ulhasnagar and Navi Mumbai.” He estimated that around 15 to 16 chemical godowns were destroyed in the fire.
