Panic strikes as three die in gas leak at factory near Palghar

Three workers of a chemical company near Palghar, nearly 115 km from Mumbai, died on Sunday following a toxic gas leak, the police said.

Tragedy struck the factory, located in Palghar-Tarapur MIDC area, when the work of filling gas was on around 4 pm, said an official.

The fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and the rescue operation is on, said Janardan Prabhkar of Boisar police station.

Sources said the noxious gases knocked out the workers on the spot. While they were taken to a hospital, the dangerous gas made the doctors feel uneasy. Some of them too needed medical attention, said a source.

The nature of the gas will be ascertained after port-mortem of the bodies are done, said another source.

The Tarapur MIDC area has several factories producing poisonous chemicals.

In early March, three people were killed after nearly 40 explosions at a chemical factory in the area. Authorities said industrial solvents stored in drums caught fire at the unit. At least 14 people were injured in the mishap.