Three persons died and nine others sustained injuries following an explosion in the premises of a defunct metal unit and subsequent fire that spread to adjacent areas, including an electric transformer, near a village in Pune district on Thursday, said a senior police officer.
On Thursday evening, a closed company in Solu village on Alandi Markal Road experienced a massive explosion, resulting in three fatalities and at least nine injuries. The incident took place at Specific Alloys Pvt Ltd around 5pm. The Alandi police station has registered a case, naming Narendra Mohanlal Surana and Phanendra Harakchandra Munuth as suspects.
The complaint, filed by Police Sub-Inspector Tukaram Khadke, states that although the accused's company shut down four years ago, explosives were still stored on the premises. The deceased victims are Nagnaath Panchal (55, Khed), Santosh Mane (47, Alandi), and Ramchandra Nimbalkar (80, Khed). The injured individuals include Abdul Salam Khan (50), Monu Gautam (25), Dinesh Ramkishan Moraya (20), Basvraj Tammana Bansode (50), Baby Thakur (69), Nivriti Laxman Thakur (59), Smriti Somnath Thakur (5), Ranveer Vilash Gawade (3), and Vitthal Thakur (75), all from Solu village.
Not a transformer blast
Earlier in the day, a police officer from Pimpri-Chinchwad township, quoting local residents, had said the power transformer of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) itself had exploded near Solu village.
However, Shivaji Pawar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) and MSEDCL clarified there was no explosion in the transformer.
"Earlier, locals informed us that there was an explosion in the transformer and the resultant fire spread to adjoining areas, including a room, and people standing on the road were injured. However, now it looks like the explosion took place inside a room in a defunct metal unit and the fire spread to other places, including the transformer," he said.
"Police were still verifying what caused the explosion. But one thing is clear -- there was no explosion in the transformer," the DCP maintained.
State-run utility MSEDCL, in a statement, also clarified there was no blast in the power transformer.
Power supply to the said transformer was disconnected due to non-payment of bill by a consumer for the last six months. MSEDCL officials, including engineers from Chakan sub-division, visited the site and found no signs of explosion in the transformer, said the statement.
