Pune: Maharashtra CM Announces Compensation Of Rs 5 Lakh To Families Of Deceased Workers In Talwade Factory Fire
Varad Bhatkhande
Talawade, 8th December 2023: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of workers killed in a factory fire in Talwade MIDC, Pimpri Chinchwad, today. The government will also cover the treatment costs of the injured workers.
The incident took place around 2:45 pm at Rana Industries in Jyotiba Nagar, Talawade, where sparkling candles are manufactured. The explosion, which led to a fire, trapped 16 people inside the factory. Later six bodies were taken out while 10 others are undergoing treatment at Sassoon General Hospital in Pune.
The incident took place during the manufacturing of sparkles commonly used on birthday cakes. The process involved a godown on the premises of Rana Engineering at Talawade. The sparkle production includes the use of alcohol. Suddenly, an explosion occurred, closing the shutters of the factory and trapping workers inside. The work was being conducted with no ventilation in the factory.
The fire department was informed about the incident at 3 pm, prompting the arrival of six fire engines at the scene. Firefighters worked diligently to control the fire by breaking the back wall of the factory and pouring water inside. The impact of the blast was severe, cracking the factory wall and reflecting the horror of the explosion.
Subsequently, key officials, including PCMC Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh and Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissioner Vinay Kumar Choubey, reached the site to assess the situation.
Six women, lost their lives on the spot, while ten individuals (one man and nine women) sustained serious injuries. The injured were identified as follows:
1. Shilpa Rathod, 31/F (90-95% burn)
2. Pratiksha Torne, 16/F (90-95% burn)
3. Apeksha Torne, 26/F (80-85% burns)
4. Kavita Rathod, 45/F (40-45% burn)
5. Renuka Tathod, 20/F (25-30% burn)
6. Sharad Sutar, 45/M (30-35% burn)
7. Komal Choure, 25/F (40-45% burn)
8. Suman, 40/F (25-30% burn)
9. Usha Padve, 40/F (70-75% burn)
10. Priyanka Yadav, 32/F (35-40% burn)
District Collector Dr Rajesh Deshmukh met the injured persons at the Sassoon Hospital. He instructed the medical officers to provide necessary treatment to all the patients immediately. At this time, Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr. Sujit Divare, Dr. Harish Tatia and others were present.
The identity of the deceased remains unknown due to extensive damage to their faces and bodies, making identification challenging. Further tests are ongoing to determine their identities.
Following the incident, two of the injured were rushed directly to Sassoon General Hospital, approximately 24 kilometres from the spot. Deceased bodies were taken to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital in Pimpri, and the remaining injured were initially taken to YCM Hospital. After primary treatment, all injured individuals were shifted to Sassoon General Hospital for further treatment.
To facilitate the swift transfer of the injured from YCM to Sassoon Hospital, the police implemented a green corridor, allowing ambulances to rush to Sassoon Hospital under police escort. However, the incident caused a significant traffic jam in Jyotiba Nagar, prompting the intervention of DCP (Traffic) Bapu Bangar to regulate traffic.
