Pune: Tragedy Strikes Pune Scrap Shop: 1 Killed, 3 Injured in Fridge Compressor Explosion
Pune: Tragedy Strikes Pune Scrap Shop: 1 Killed, 3 Injured in Fridge Compressor Explosion
A devastating explosion occurred at a scrap shop on BT Kawade Road in Mundhwa, Pune, on Friday, resulting in the death of one person and injuring three others. The incident happened around 5:30 pm when an employee, Mehmood Shaikh, was breaking the compressor of an old refrigerator .
Shaikh, a resident of Ramnagar in the Ramtekdi area, succumbed to his injuries on the spot, bearing the brunt of the explosion on his face. Three others, including scrap dealer Mohammed Banimiyan Sayyed (50) and his employees Kishor Salve (40) and Dilip Misal (40), were admitted to Sassoon General Hospital with injuries. Their condition is reported to be stable.
The explosion caused widespread panic in the area, with police and fire brigade teams rushing to the spot to assess the situation and admit the injured to the hospital. Fortunately, the explosion did not result in a fire.
Preliminary investigations suggest negligence on the part of the scrap dealer, who entrusted the task of breaking the compressor to an unskilled worker without ensuring adequate safety measures. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone IV) Rajkumar Shinde stated that a case would be registered against the scrap dealer.
The scrap shop, located in front of Navsha Ganapati temple on BT Kawade Road, has a large quantity of scrap material. The dealer collects old refrigerators, disassembles them, and removes copper from compressors, which fetches a good price in the market.
The police have been issuing standard operating procedures (SOPs) to scrap dealers across the city and holding meetings to emphasize the precautions needed while handling potentially explosive materials. In light of this incident, another meeting will be convened to reiterate the importance of safety protocols.
