Navi Mumbai: A massive fire that broke out at a chemical company in the Pawane MIDC area on Saturday afternoon gutted eight industrial units, including the firm where the blaze originated, causing extensive damage to property, while no casualties were reported.
Evacuation and smoke
The fire erupted around 12:15 pm at Bitachem, located at Plot No. W-177 in Pawane MIDC, and rapidly spread to neighbouring companies due to the presence of large quantities of chemicals. Thick black smoke engulfed the area, triggering panic among workers, who managed to evacuate in time.
Fire brigade teams from the MIDC and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation rushed to the spot soon after receiving information. As the intensity of the blaze increased, additional fire tenders from Vashi, Koparkhairane and Nerul were pressed into service, and employees from nearby companies were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Containment
After nearly five hours of continuous firefighting, the blaze was brought under control around 5 pm, following which cooling operations continued till late evening.
“Due to the presence of highly inflammable chemicals, the fire spread rapidly to nearby units. Our teams worked for several hours to prevent further damage and successfully brought the situation under control,” a senior fire officer said.
Fire officer statement
According to preliminary information, the fire is suspected to have originated from a chemical tanker parked within the Bitachem premises, though the exact cause is yet to be confirmed. The Turbhe police have registered the incident, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the fire and assess the extent of losses.
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