A man recognised his wife who died in a chemical factory blast in Dombivli in Maharashtra's Thane on May 23 by identifying her ring and 'mangalsutra' (a traditional necklace worn by married Hindu women).
Riddhi Khanvilkar, who worked at the Amber Chemical Company in Dombivli, was among the 11 victims who died in the blast. More than 60 people were also injured in the incident.
The explosion was so loud that her husband Amit, who works in a pathology clinic in Palghar, had heard a faint sound of it at their home. Amit was on leave and came to know from his neighbours that the blast occurred in the same chemical factory where his wife was on that day.
Amit frantically called her several times, but her phone was switched off, deepening his dread.
Concerned about his wife's whereabouts, Amit informed his friends and began searching for her at the chemical factory and nearby areas. He and his friends circulated Riddhi's photos on WhatsApp groups and within hospital networks, anticipating a glimmer of hope.
Later, Amit received a call from a hospital that four bodies had been recovered from the blast site, of which two were of women. He was told that the bodies were kept in Shastri Hospital.
Amit, along with his friends, rushed to the hospital and saw the charred bodies at the hospital's mortuary. While searching for his wife, he found her ring and 'mangalsutra' on a body.
Amit confirmed that it was his wife and was in tears.
The impact of the blast and the resultant fire damaged adjacent factories and houses. Several people are still missing after the explosion.
Published By:
Prateek Chakraborty
Published On:
May 25, 2024
English (US) ·