Toxic gas leaks from Palghar chemical unit – March 2026

Toxic gas leaks from Palghar chemical unit; 2,600 evacuated, 3 persons complain of eye irritation
Leak from 2,500-litre oleum tank at Boisar MIDC unit spreads dense fumes across 5-km radius; 1,600 students and 1,000 workers evacuated as NDRF teams launch containment operations

major leak of hazardous oleum gas at a chemical unit in Maharashtra's Palghar district on Monday (March 2, 2026) led to the evacuation of over 2,600 people, including 1,600 school students, while three persons complained of minor eye irritation, officials said.

Four hospitalised after gas leak at factory in Gujarat’s Vapi

The incident occurred around 2 p.m. at a unit of Bhageria Industries Ltd. in the Boisar MIDC area on the outskirts of Mumbai. The leak from a 2,500-litre oleum (fuming sulphuric acid) tank created a dense cloud of white fumes that spread rapidly due to strong winds, affecting areas within an estimated 5 km radius and causing panic among residents and workers in the industrial belt.

As a precaution, authorities evacuated 1,600 students from Tarapur Vidyamandir, and more than 1,000 workers from the factory and nearby industrial units.

Palghar District Collector Dr. Indu Rani Jakhar said the disaster management plan was activated immediately after the leak was reported. The cause of the leak was not immediately known.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), and the fire brigade initially faced difficulty due to high concentrations of fumes while attempting to reach the source of the leak.

Chemical experts and NDRF personnel later located the leaking tank and entered the premises using self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). Sandbags were deployed around the tank to suppress the fumes and contain the spread.