A Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) fireman and a local worker suffered burn injuries when paint and thinner barrels exploded during a firefighting operation at a godown in Kalamboli’s Steel Market Yard in Navi Mumbai on Saturday night. Both were admitted to hospitals and were reported to be out of danger, while the fire was brought under control after a four-hour operation.
Fireman Vishal Thakare, 28, and local worker Mahendra Gupta, 37, sustained skin burns after blasts sent fireball-shaped burning liquid more than 50 metres from the godown. They were admitted to Satyam Hospital in Kalamboli and MGM Hospital in Kamothe respectively. The injuries were below 10%, according to Kalamboli fire officer Manish Brahmankar, who was quoted in the Times of India report.
The fire was reported by a woman at a godown on plot number 334, located to the right of Tukaram Warehouse. Firefighting operations began at about 10.30 pm on Saturday and continued until 2.30 am on Sunday. The response involved fire stations from Kalamboli, New Panvel, Panvel and Kharghar.
The fire brigade used a hose reel, a monitor boom and hose lines to control the flames. It also deployed 22 cans of aqueous film-forming foam, a firefighting agent used to suppress fires involving flammable liquids. Around 50 barrels of paint and thinner were stored inside the premises, according to Brahmankar.
The cause of the fire had not been established, and the company owner remained untraceable, the report said. Brahmankar said the authorities suspected that the flammable materials may have been stored illegally because the owners were absent. That possibility had not been confirmed through an official investigation at the time of publication.
The incident also drew attention to the protective equipment available to firefighters. Video footage reportedly showed some fire brigade personnel operating in T-shirts rather than full personal protective equipment during the response. Activists criticised the alleged lack of PPE, citing the risks of fighting fires involving paint, thinner and other volatile materials.
Responding to questions about the clothing worn by fire brigade personnel, Brahmankar said PPE procurement procedures had been completed and that the equipment was expected within the next fortnight. The statement did not specify the quantity being procured or whether the equipment would be available across all stations involved in the operation.
The injuries occurred during the operation after the stored barrels exploded, rather than after the fire had been fully extinguished. Further action on the suspected storage violations, the cause of the fire and the availability of protective equipment will depend on the authorities’ investigation and the completion of the stated procurement process.
