Massive blast during tanker welding kills hotel owner in Waluj

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

A powerful explosion during welding work on an empty furnace oil tanker near Kamgar Chowk, Waluj Mahanagar, around 3.30 pm on Friday, killed a hotel owner and injured another man.

The deceased, Rafiq Shaikh (48), a hotel operator from Kohinoor Park, Tisgaon, originally from Uttar Pradesh, died instantly when a flying metal sheet severed his leg. Sachin Bhalerao (26), a nearby shop worker, sustained leg injuries. According to Waluj MIDC officials, Abhay Agency was repairing the tanker (MH-20-GC-2015) when residual oil gases inside ignited from a welding spark, triggering the explosion. Three of the four compartments were torn apart, and debris scattered across nearby companies and transport offices. The blast shattered windows and damaged furniture and equipment in Darshan Plastics, Janki Engineering, and Patil Transport. Power cables snapped, causing a short outage. Fire Officer Anil Deshmukh and his team reached the spot swiftly, extinguished the fire, and prevented a second blast. Police inspector Rameshwar Gade led the on-site investigation, while the tanker driver Khandu Gawli and agency manager Gajanan Kharbal were detained. An FIR is being registered. The explosion sparked panic, forcing nearby firms to pause operations. Locals blamed unsafe welding on fuel tankers and demanded strict action against unlicensed workshops. Officials said a greater tragedy was avoided as only a few workers were present. Residents recalled a similar welding blast on Jogeshwari Road earlier this year and urged the administration to enforce safety norms across the industrial area.