Nanded, Maharashtra (December 7, 2024): A fire at Tirumala Oil Industries in the MIDC area claimed the lives of two brothers and injured three others on December 1. The fire, which followed an explosion, caused extensive damage and destroyed oil worth lakhs of rupees.
The incident occurred between 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. The explosion in the warehouse of the oil mill reportedly blew away some tin sheets and sparked the fire. Five individuals, including the mill's owner and his partners, sustained burn injuries.
The injured were identified as Bhaskar Prahlad Kottawar, the owner, his sons Harshad and Vinod Kottawar, and partners Sumit Sudhakar Bandewar and Sudhakar Suryakantrao Bandewar.
Initially treated at a hospital in Nanded, three of the injured, including Bhaskar Kottawar and his two sons, were later shifted to Hyderabad due to their critical condition. Harshad Kottawar succumbed to his injuries on December 5, followed by his brother Vinod on December 6. Bhaskar Kottawar remains under treatment.
The explosion and fire have left the industrial area in shock. Workers were reportedly not present at the time due to a Sunday holiday, which likely prevented further casualties.
According to sources, the mill was operated by Bhaskar Kottawar and Sudhakar Bandewar in partnership. The original plot for the mill is owned by Mahesh Rekhawar. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the explosion and subsequent fire.