Blast at Nashik chemical firm; 2 dead, 17 injured in fire

Two persons were killed and 17 others injured in a massive fire triggered by a blast in a boiler of a chemical factory in Maharashtra's Nashik district on Sunday, police officials said.

The blast in the Jindal Poly Films factory, located in Mundhegaon along the Mumbai-Agra highway in Igatpuri taluka, was so strong that it was heard in nearby villages.

The fire and smoke could be seen from a distance. The incident occurred around 11.30 am, they said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the accident site and later also met the injured persons admitted to a hospital.

"The fire in Jindal company was huge. The reason behind it is not known yet. A high-level inquiry of the incident will be conducted. As many as 19 employees were injured in the incident and two of them lost their lives.

"The next of kin of each deceased will get Rs five lakh aid from the state government and the injured will get free medical treatment," the chief minister said.

Mundhegaon is located about 30 km from Nashik and 130 km from Mumbai.

Fire brigade, police, and disaster response force teams rushed to the spot to launch a rescue operation.