Gas filling firm worker killed in nitrogen cylinder blast; chemical experts baffled as Nitrogen isn't inflammable
Gas filling firm worker killed in nitrogen cylinder blast; chemical experts baffled as Nitrogen isn't inflammable
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Can nitrogen, an inert gas, trigger a blast? That is the question baffling chemical experts in the city after a massive explosion killed a man yesterday morning at the Parag Gases and Chemicals company near Loni-Kalbhor on the Pune-Solapur road.
Five employees were injured in the blast that claimed the life of one of their most experienced colleagues, Rasool Mokashi (60), as he tried to repair a nitrogen cylinder.
Anil Karyekar, a chemical expert from the Inox Air Filling Company in Bhosari, inspected the site of the blast with his team.
Theories
"Nitrogen, whether in liquid or gas form, is not inflammable. Although we don't know the reason behind the blast, we suspect a leaking cylinder could have banged on to another, or the nozzle meant for one cylinder was put on another cylinder, triggering a blast," Karyekar said.
The injured people were identified as Manohar Sadashiv Wadkar (55), Dattatray Ovale (52), Jaysingh Ovale (50), Rajendra Chavan (50), Chandrakant Bhalsingh (35). Of the five, Chavan was admitted to the intensive care unit of Noble Hospital in Hadapsar.
Such was the intensity of the explosion that Mokashi's body was torn to pieces.
Ovale, who works in the company's Commercial Gas Division, said, "Rasool was checking the keys of the nitrogen cylinder when the blast took place. After the first cylinder exploded, six other cylinders nearby also exploded. The cylinders have gas under high pressure, because of which the blast intensity was high."
A company official, who requested anonymity, said, "This is the first time I have seen a nitrogen cylinder explode this way. The exact reason behind the blast can be ascertained only by the experts."
Cops say negligence
Inspector Suhas Garud of the Loni-Kalbhor police station said, "Surely, there must have been some kind of negligence because of which the incident has taken place. After the experts' report is received, an FIR will be registered against the guilty."
Police Sub-Inspector Narayan Pawar said, "Parag Chemicals company is owned by Prakash Mutha, while Kashinath Mahadik is the manager at the unit. There are 20 employees working in three different shifts. Rasool was the supervisor and was the most experienced employee. He earlier worked with the Inox Air Filling Company for 30 years, and was associated with Parag Chemicals for the past three years. Nitrogen and oxygen in liquid form are brought to the company's filling plant and filled into small cylinders and dispatched to different companies."
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