Nine injured in chemical factory fire at Badlapur

Nine persons were severely injured in a fire that broke out at a chemical factory in the Badlapur MIDC area in Maharashtra's Thane district on Tuesday, a fire brigade official said.

Nine factory workers who sustained severe burns are undergoing treatment at National Burns Centre in Airoli of Navi Mumbai, chief fire officer of the Ambernath-Badlapur civic fire services Bhagwat Sonone said.

The fire broke out at around 11.30 am on the ground floor of chemical company Omkar Speciality Chemicals Ltd, the official said.

The fire gutted the ground floor of the three-storey structure and spread to the upper floors, he said, adding that the flames were brought under control before they could reach the adjoining manufacturing units.

Fire engines from Badlapur MIDC, Ambernath, Anand Nagar MIDC, Kalyan and Bhiwandi were pressed into service and the flames were doused by 5.30 pm, he said.

The authorities are probing the cause for the fire, he added.