17 hospitalised in Tarapur chemical leak, second such incident this month

Around 17 people were present at the site at the time. While the situation was brought under control by 2.30 pm, workers began to experience symptoms several hours later.

“Five to six hours after exposure, workers reported uneasiness, breathing difficulty, burning sensation in the eyes and vomiting,” an official said.

All affected individuals were admitted to a hospital in Betegaon and are currently stable, according to Madhav Totewad, Joint Director of Industrial Safety and Health.

The incident has been recorded at the Boisar Police Station, and the process of registering an FIR is underway.

The latest incident is the second reported gas leak in the Tarapur–Boisar belt in the past month alone.

A recent oleum gas leak on March 2 at Bhageria Industries in Boisar triggered a large-scale evacuation, with over 2,000 people including factory workers and students from nearby schools moved to safety after toxic fumes spread across the area.

According to officials, the frequency of such incidents is linked to the high concentration of chemical industries in the Tarapur–Boisar industrial estate, where multiple hazardous units operate in close proximity.

Factories in the region routinely handle highly reactive substances such as oleum, chlorine and nitrogen-based compounds, all of which require stringent safety systems and constant monitoring.

Regulatory concerns have also been flagged in the past, including observations made before the Bombay High Court and the National Green Tribunal regarding inspection gaps and maintenance of safety systems.