Nalasopara | September 10, 2026 — Three people, including two schoolchildren, were injured after a cooker exploded at the Sopara Zilla Parishad school in Nalasopara West while preparations for the midday meal were under way. Palghar Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Manoj Ranade has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
The explosion took place at around 1.30 p.m. on Tuesday in the school kitchen, where khichdi was being prepared in a large cooker. The force of the blast sent boiling khichdi out of the cooker and towards people near the kitchen and meal distribution area, according to a report by Loksatta – Vasai-Virar.
The injured students were identified as Gautam Guddu Prasad, 11, a Class 5 student, and Ayush Chaudhary, 9, a Class 3 student. Poonam Mangesh Kadam, 32, who was cooking the meal, was also injured. All three suffered serious burn injuries after the hot food struck them.
Following the incident, the injured children and the worker were shifted to Mumbai’s J.J. Hospital for further treatment. Their condition was reported to be stable. The incident occurred while students were standing in line for their meal, bringing the school’s kitchen operations and safety arrangements under immediate scrutiny.
Ranade directed the block education officer and block development officer to conduct a detailed investigation and submit a report. The inquiry is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the cooker’s operation, the school kitchen’s arrangements and the events leading up to the blast. The supplied report does not specify whether the cooker or kitchen equipment had undergone a recent inspection.
The incident has also prompted concern in the surrounding area because the blast occurred during the school’s midday-meal preparation period, when students and kitchen staff were present near the food distribution process. The report did not state whether classes were suspended or whether the school issued separate instructions to students and parents after the accident.
The district administration has said that the Zilla Parishad will bear the full treatment expenses of the injured students. The inquiry report from the block-level education and development authorities will determine the next official steps in the case.
