Palghar (Maharashtra)— A major chemical emergency unfolded in Maharashtra’s Palghar district on Monday, after a leak of hazardous oleum gas at an industrial unit forced the evacuation of more than 2,600 individuals. The incident occurred around 2:00 PM at a facility operated by Bhageria Industries Ltd within the Boisar MIDC area. A thick cloud of white fumes, consisting of fuming sulphuric acid, spread rapidly across a five-kilometre radius, causing widespread panic among local residents and industrial workers.
The leak originated from a 2,500-litre capacity oleum day tank, according to a statement from the Palghar district administration. As the fumes intensified, authorities moved quickly to evacuate 1,600 students from Tarapur Vidyamandir school as a precautionary measure. Additionally, over 1,000 workers from the affected unit and neighbouring factories were shifted to safer zones. While the leak caused significant alarm, officials confirmed that only three persons reported minor eye irritation, and no major casualties have been recorded thus far.
Emergency response teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Fire Brigade, and experts from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), were deployed to the site. Rescuers initially struggled to locate the source of the leak due to the dense concentration of smoke. However, personnel equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) eventually managed to enter the premises and used sandbags to suppress the fumes. Palghar District Collector Dr. Indu Rani Jakhar, who is overseeing the disaster management plan, stated that the situation is currently being monitored to ensure the area is completely neutralized.
