Fire breaks out in Raigad oil factory

Mumbai: A major fire broke out at an oil factory in Raigad district of Maharashtra earlier on Sunday. At least 12 fire tenders were present at the spot who carried out the fire fighting operations.

Raigad district collector, Dr Vijay Suryawanshi, said, “No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident, till the time of filing this report. The fire is suspected to be caused due to short-circuit. However, the exact reason of the fire is yet to be ascertained.”

Mr Suryawanshi added that the investigation as well as the cooling operations was being carried out. “As it’s a factory area and on top of that it’s an oil factory so we have to be very careful,” he said.

The fire spread quickly owing to strong wind in the area, and engulfed the plant spreading to a nearby industrial oil company, Mr Suryawanshi added. There have been no reports of any casualties, he confirmed.

Around 12 fire tenders from adjoining areas were rushed to the site. Water tankers, JCBs and dumpers with mud were also deployed in order to douse the fire. The other plant and nearby factories were isolated to avoid further spread of fire.

In a similar incident last month, a fire broke out at a plastic factory in Kandivali. The cause of the fire was believed to be short-circuit. Meanwhile, last year, on December 24, at least four men were killed in a fire that gutted a cloth godown in suburban Kandivli area.