Gas Leak Tragedy In Palghar's Pharmaceutical Company Leaves 4 Dead, 2 Fighting For Life

Palghar: A deadly gas leak incident purportedly occurred at Medley Pharmaceuticals Company, located in the Tarapur-Boisar area of Maharashtra's Palghar district, resulting in the deaths of four workers and leaving two others critical. The accident happened between 2.30 pm and 3 pm on Thursday, when, allegedly, a nitrogen gas leak was detected in the factory's nitrogen reaction tank.

The affected workers were immediately rushed to Shinde Hospital in Boisar for treatment, where four of them sadly succumbed to their injuries. The deceased workers have been identified as Kalpesh Raut, Bengali Thakur, Dheeraj Prajapati, and Kamlesh Yadav. Two workers, Rohan Shinde and Nilesh Hadal, are currently undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with critical conditions.

The Palghar police have initiated an investigation into the incident. A case is being registered at the police station under relevant sections, and the probe is underway. According to the police, six people were severely affected by the suspected nitrogen leak, and four were declared dead at the hospital. The cause of the gas leak is yet to be ascertained. 

Vivekanand Kadam, Chief of Palghar district disaster management cell, confirmed that the leak had a severe impact on the staff working in the affected unit, leaving four workers dead and two others in critical condition. "Six workers were rushed to the hospital, where four of them died around 6.15 pm," he said.

Workers Raised Safety Concerns

The incident has raised serious concerns about workplace safety in industrial areas, particularly in pharmaceutical and chemical companies. The Tarapur MIDC area, where the incident occurred, is home to several such companies, and it is essential to ensure that they adhere to strict safety protocols to prevent such accidents.

The Palghar Police stated, “In the Boisar police station limits of Palghar district, four persons died after suspected suffocation in a pharma factory, Medley Pharma. Six people were found severely affected by the suspected nitrogen leak. They were rushed to the nearest hospital, where four people were declared dead and two are under treatment in the ICU. The process of registering a case has begun by taking statements of the witnesses.”

Talking exclusively to Republic TV, Palghar SP Yatish Deshmukh confirmed that 36 employees are working in the factory, but at the time of the incident, there were only six. He stated, “The company generally prepares nitrogen and other chemicals. There must be a leakage of these chemicals. Out of six, four of them lost their lives, and 2 of them were still injured. The inspection is going on, and we have been in touch with the safety inspector also. 30 other employees were safe."

The incident has sent shockwaves in the area, and the concerned authorities are probing the incident to determine the cause of the technical fault that led to the gas leak. The two survivors are receiving treatment in the ICU, and their condition is being closely monitored.