The Industrial Safety Department has issued a closure notice to the Jindal Polyfilms factory located in Mundhegaon, Igatpuri taluka, following a massive fire that broke out on Wednesday morning. The fire, which was caused by highly flammable raw materials, took nearly 100 hours to bring under control.
This is the second major fire incident at the same factory in the past two and a half years. Senior officials from the Industrial Safety Department confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the blaze. Initial findings suggest the fire started in scrap material stored on-site and quickly spread due to the presence of combustible chemicals.
Firefighting teams from surrounding districts, private companies in Mumbai, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were all called in to contain the fire. There was serious concern over a tank containing 'propane'—a hazardous chemical—on the factory premises, and efforts were made to prevent the smoke and flames from reaching it.
The fire had engulfed the entire factory, and two workers were injured on the first day after stepping on molten plastic. A one-kilometer area around the factory had to be monitored closely for safety.
In light of the severity of the incident and previous safety concerns, the Industrial Safety Department has formally ordered the temporary closure of the Jindal Polyfilms facility until further notice.