Thick smoke envelopes area after fire in Satara MIDC unit sparks series of explosions

Kolhapur: A series of explosions struck a cough syrup raw material supply unit at MIDC Tasawade near Karad in Satara district around 8.30am on Monday, with initial assessments suggesting fire destroying most stored chemicals and machinery, besides affecting sections of the building, including slabs.The MIDC estate is situated along Pune-Bengaluru highway, about 10km from Karad town towards Pune. Despite being the largest industrial estate in the district, it lacks own fire station. Therefore, fire tenders were deployed from three nearby sugar mills and Karad Municipal Council.Factory officials said no workers were present in the unit at the time of the fire as their shift was scheduled to begin at 9am. Preliminary investigations suggested the fire might have been triggered by overheating of boilers or reactors, or due to an electrical spark within the unit.Sarjerao Kisan Salunkhe, director of SKS Finechem Pvt Ltd, which operates the unit, is currently abroad. So, police have not been able to contact him to assess the exact extent of the losses. "Four fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The loud sounds were likely caused by explosions when containers, mainly plastic drums used for storing chemicals, burst due to the heat," Karad tehsildar Kalpana Dhawale said.R S Patil, deputy superintendent of police, Karad, said, "The factory, spread across a four-guntha plot, had stock of base material used to manufacture cough syrup, chemically known as Ambroxil Hydrochloride. Around 50 barrels of the material were stored in the unit. We are assessing the damage with the help of the factory manager and staff."A cattle feed plant located adjacent to the affected factory remained unharmed due to favourable wind direction.