Maharashtra Labour Minister Suresh Khade has said the blast in a chemical factory at Dombivli in Thane district last week occurred in a reactor and not a boiler. An expert team from New Delhi will conduct a probe to ascertain the exact cause of the blast, Khade told reporters after visiting the incident site on Monday.
The blast at Amudan Chemicals unit on May 23 claimed 10 lives and left more than 60 persons injured, as per officials. Khade held discussions with the officials concerned and assured a thorough investigation to find out if the incident occurred due to human error or other factors. He said the explosion took place in a reactor and not a boiler.
"There is no boiler department in the company," he said. Khade also said efforts were underway to locate any missing workers, with plans for further examination of the debris if necessary.
He stressed on the need for stringent safety measures to prevent such incidents in future. The labour department would make efforts to secure higher compensation for the blast victims and their families through legal recourse, he added. -- PTI