Five dead in Maharashtra factory blast; CM Uddhav announces Rs 5 lakh relief for dead's kin

Five people were killed and six injured in a massive explosion in a chemical factory at Boisar in Maharashtra's Palghar district on Saturday evening. The blast, which took place around 7.20 pm, which took place during the testing of some chemicals around 7.20 pm, was so huge that it was heard within a 15-km radius, and windowpanes of some houses in the surrounding area shattered, a police official said.

The blast took place in an under-construction plant of Ank Pharma, which is located in a Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area at Kolwade village, the official said.

The under-construction plant building collapsed after the explosion. While five persons were killed, the injured were being extricated from debris, the official said.

A fire started after the blast but it was put down, he added.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the kin of the deceased, a statement from his office said.

The chief minister was monitoring the relief and rescue operation himself, it added.

A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team had been called for rescue operations, officials said.

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