A 65-year-old manager of a rubber factory and an engineer working there were killed in a major fire at Pawne MIDC in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, officials said on Saturday.
The fire had broken out on Friday around 3.25 pm, which was put out around 9.30 am on Saturday and a cooling operation is currently underway, chief of the Regional Disaster Management Cell of Thane civic body, Avinash Sawant, said.
"The blaze had started in West Coast Polychem Pvt Ltd, a ground plus three-storey structure in Pawne MIDC, which soon spread to the adjoining Hind Elastomers, both owned by the same person," he said, adding that both the companies were involved in rubber manufacturing.
Apart from these two factories, one more company was gutted in the fire, which had also left three other nearby units affected, officials had said.
Monukumar Nair (65), manager of West Coast Polychem and Nikhil Pashilkar (25), who worked as an engineer there died in the incident, said R B Patil, fire officer of Rabale MIDC fire station.
"The body of Nair, who died of suffocation, was found earlier on Saturday, while that of Pashilkar was found by afternoon," he said.
Eyewitnesses said that the fire brigade personnel reached the spot late, due to which the fire spread to the adjoining units.
A total of 12 fire engines, including five from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, three from Pawne MIDC, one each from Thane civic body and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), were involved in the operation, Sawant said.
As many as 200 drums of foam were used to put out the flames, he added.
The cause of the fire is still being ascertained and local police are probing the incident.
