Three booked for Palghar factory explosion that left three workers dead

Two owners and the head of a division of a electrical panel manufacturing firm have been booked in connection with an explosion on September 28 that killed three workers and injured seven persons in Vasai in Palghar district, a police official said on Saturday.

The three accused, part of CAS Power Engineering, have not been arrested as yet in the case registered in Valiv police station in Palghar district, the official added. “These three have been charged with not enforcing safety norms in the factory. Our probe has found the gas insulator machine was not kept in a safe place. It was positioned near oil drums and filters, all of which are inflammable materials,” he said.

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“They did not carry out urgent repairs of equipment despite knowing it may endanger the lives of workers. As a result, a DA cylinder (containing gas) exploded on September 28, and fell on these inflammable materials, killing workers Ajay Badar, Sandeep Mishra and Ashwin Patel,” the official added.

The case was registered on Friday night and further probe was underway, he said.