Raigad Blast: 8 Bodies Recovered From Mahad Pharma Company Tragedy Site

Raigad: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has recovered eight bodies from the site of the blast that took place on Friday at the factory of Blue Jet Healthcare Ltd at Mahad in Raigad district.

Seven people were seriously injured and seven others are still missing in the blast at the MIDC complex about 170 km from here. A search is on for the missing persons. The blast was apparently caused by the leakage of gas from the plant. The company’s stock had made a strong debut on November 1 on the bourses, listing at a 9.8 per cent premium to the IPO price of Rs 346. The shares opened at Rs 380 each on the NSE and Rs359 each on BSE. The state government has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Rescue Team Issues Statement

“While four bodies were found till 7am, four more were recovered till 5pm. They are among the 11 persons who had gone missing following the fire. Personnel from local agencies as well as NDRF are conducting a search for the remaining persons,” an official said. Initial investigation indicated that the fire may have started because of a short circuit, leading to barrels at the site that were filled with chemicals exploding, which further intensified the blaze. The company, which is headquartered in Sanpada, Navi Mumbai, manufactures pharmaceutical intermediaries and active pharma ingredients.

The company, which claims to be a “global, science-led pharma company” with 50 years experience with four plants, has not made an official statement about the tragedy.