Mumbai Beat

Rajendra Patel 22, a resident of Kalyan, and his colleagues were working the night shift when fumes escaped and left blisters on the workers8217; faces. The fire brigade suspects the fumes were methyl-iso-cyanante. Another worker, Konduram, who is being treated at Ashirwad Hospital, said: 8220;We detected a pungent smell in the unit after midnight but ignored it as it was not unusual. However, when one my colleagues complained of a burning sensation in his throat and eyes and collapsed, we raised an alarm.8221;

Sub-inspector Satish Bhamre of Manpada police said no arrests have been made as investigations are still on. Four of the eight workers in the hospital are in a critical condition.

PAL-Peugeot protest

Over 150 PAL-Peugeot workers belonging to the Dada Samant-led Kamgar Aghadi stormed the company8217;s Khidkali plant at Dombivli at 8.30 am today. The workers, who have not received any payment for over eight months, are demanding that the management at least pay a portion of their dues. The plant8217;s personnel manager, S L Khairnar, assured workers that he would request the management to consider their demand. The workers later left but not before warning of more stringent protests if their demand was not met within a week.

KRC warning to passengers

Concerned over an injury to a student who was travelling on the footboard of the Mangala Express last week, the Konkan Railway Corporation KRC has appealed to passengers to desist from taking undue risks while travelling on its trains.

Arshad Margo, a student of the Srinivas Medical College, Mangalore, was standing on the footboard when he was hit on the head by an unidentified object as the train passed through a tunnel between Nirsar and Adavali. He was taken to the government medical college, where he is in a serious condition. The corporation said the route is punctuated by tunnels and bridges, and travelling on the footboard or on roof-tops was more dangerous than in other sectors in the country.