Dombivli boiler blast: Drone survey of site as rescue ops conclude

A drone survey was conducted over a 600x600-metre grid of the blast site

As the search and rescue operations at the site of the chemical factory boiler unit blast in Dombivli concluded on the evening of May 25, the Civil Defence Corps, Maharashtra, conducted a comprehensive drone survey over a 600x600-metre grid of the blast site. The tragic incident on May 23 resulted in the death of 11 individuals and left over 40 others injured. The last body was recovered from the blast site on May 25.

"This survey aimed to detect any survivors or body parts that might have been missed amidst the debris. The footage from the drone survey is currently under scrutiny by the Civil Defence Corps Maharashtra team to ensure all areas have been thoroughly examined. Even though we will not be at the blast site today (May 26), we are extensively scrutinizing the drone footage to look for survivors and body parts of the deceased which the human eye might have missed out," said Biman Nathwani, Civil Defence Corps, Maharashtra.

Biman Nathwani, Civil Defence Corps, Maharashtra

The exhaustive rescue operation saw the involvement of personnel from multiple teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF), Civil Defence Corps, Maharashtra, and the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) fire brigade. Their coordinated efforts were crucial in navigating the hazardous conditions and recovering the victims.

"Given the severity of the explosion and the resulting disfigurement of the victims, identifying the deceased has posed a significant challenge. To address this, the KDMC commissioner has ordered the collection of DNA samples from individuals who claim their relatives are missing after the blast. These samples will be used to match with the DNA samples of the bodies recovered from the site, facilitating the identification process and providing closure to the grieving families. The test results are yet to come but we are positive that this will help in identifying the bodies of the deceased who are disfigured or whose bodies were found in pieces," Nathwani said.

11
No. of people killed in blast

Co-owner released

The Thane police have released Malti Mehta, co-owner of Amunda Chemicals and mother of Malay Mehta, who was detained from Nashik by the Thane police Crime Branch after the blast. A source from Thane police said, "We investigated the matter and found that Malti Mehta had no part to play in the boiler blast and hence she was released on May 25. Malay, the owner of Amunda Chemicals, is still under scrutiny for the blast."