Liv embarrassed by rock star dad

Liv Tyler hates it when her rock star dad wears trousers that are too tight. The Incredible Hulk actress who has a three-year-old son with her estranged musician husband Royston Langdon is always embarrassed when Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler dons his famous skin-tight pants.

She said: “I love my dad, although I’m definitely critical of him sometimes like when his pants are too tight!” Liv, 30, also revealed the best relationship advice she has ever been given was from her model-and-singer mother Bebe Buell.

She added to Britain’s Cosmopolitan magazine: “My mom gave me some great advice about men. She said, ‘Watch out they can be unreliable. But they can also be wonderful.’ She had a bad reputation, which was unfair. Every time she happened to be seen with a man, she was supposed to be having an affair.

“I see her described as a ‘rock groupie’ and I know she was never that. As a child, I watched her suffering so much and I decided then that I didn’t want to go through that.” As well as romancing Aerosmith singer Steven, Bebe Buell dated and bedded many famous rock stars in the 70s, including Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, David Bowie and Elvis Costello.
mumbai news

Cate’s sexy wrinkles

Cate Blanchett thinks wrinkles are “sexy” and believes people who have plastic surgery are self-obsessed.

The 38-year-old actress - who recently gave birth to her third child with husband Andrew Upton - hates the idea of plastic surgery, and is happy to have some lines on her face.

She said: “For me, I think what will be sexy in 50 years time will be wrinkles. Look at a man or a woman in their 50s and all I see when they have brushed their years away with surgery is self-obsession and fear.

That’s not particularly attractive.” Cate also revealed having children has taught her to be quiet -sometimes. She added: “I’ve learned to be quiet! It’s interesting. When our youngest son came out of the womb he came out talking.

My husband keeps saying to him, ‘It’s OK to be quiet - you don’t have to talk if you don’t have anything to say.

’ I think that’s a good life lesson I have learned.” Cate and screenwriter Andrew have three sons, Dashiell John, six, Roman Robert, three, and Ignatius Martin Upton, who is less than two months old.
mumbai news

Kate wants a butt double

Kate Beckinsale wants a butt double for her new movie. The 34-year-old actress who famously had her breasts digitally enhanced on the promotional posters for her 2003 movie Underworld is so concerned her bottom is too big to bare on film that she has demanded a double for the nude scenes in Whiteout. A source said:

“Kate has a terrible self-image. She thinks she is fat and she is always complaining how certain outfits make her bottom look big. Of course, the reality is that she has the most amazing body.” Producers on the set of Whiteout have been forced to pay a nude stand-in a staggering $2,000-a-day to ensure Kate does not pull out of the film.

The movie which is set to be released in September tells the story of a US marshal, played by Kate, who tracks a killer through Antarctica. Kate, who battled eating disorder anorexia when she was a teenager, recently spoke about her body image issues.

Justin Brescia

You may know Justin Brescia as Justin “Bobby” Brescia from The Hills. He's gone to bed with Audrina Patridge. Could be worse. It could have been Heidi Montag. Yech.

Justin-Bobby enjoys riding his bike, not returning phone calls, smelling of B.O., not kissing, mumbling incoherently and breaking the heart of Audrina Patridge.

She broke up with his ass after a loud altercation at a club, as shown on The Hills. But Justin-Bobby Brescia is back on the show in Spring 2008! Stay tuned...

Condom-plating about safety?

The civic administration in association with Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT) is gearing up to take an unconventional step by installing the Condom Vending Machines (CVM) at malls, lodges, public toilets, bars, pubs, etc. The project aims to boost condom use in the city and make it easily accessible to people.



Tushar Deshmukh, convenor of HLFPPT says, "The National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) has allocated 11,000 CVMs for the country and 3000 for Mumbai and its suburbs. About 1500 machines will be installed across the city in the first phase of the project, which is likely to commence in the first week of July. Later on more machines will be stationed in associations with Mumbai District Aids Control Society (MDACS), Maharashtra State Aids Control Society (MSACS) and Avert Society "



Deshmukh further explains, "The condoms were usually available only with the chemists, which remains open for limited hours. Later non-traditional outlets like pan-bidi shops, grocery stores that remain open till mid-night also started selling condoms. However, the issue of making the condoms available 24/7 remained un-addressed. It was then that the concept of CVMs was thought of. Besides making condoms available round the clock, this move will also help in eliminating the social stigma attached with condoms."



Speaking about the machines, additional municipal commissioner Kishore Gajbhiye says, "We are planning to install the CVMs by next month at places like restrooms of restaurants, shopping malls, cinema halls, sulabh suchalaya, railway stations, etc that are regularly visited by people. These mechanical machines are quite sophisticated yet simple to operate. In order to dispense a condom one just needs to drop a five-rupees coin in the automated machine. And as far as replenishing is concerned it will be done after every 15 days. I am sure that people will welcome this move."


Both, HLFPT and civic body believe that this move will promote condom usage, which is the only way to put a check on HIV/AIDS.

One tight slap!

Students who've just cleared their HSC may be anxious about college admissions, as the number of successful candidates exceeds the number of seats available, but the Mumbai University Colleges Principals Association (MUCPA) has a different priority altogether: it has sent off SMSes to college principals across the city asking them to keep 3 to 5 seats in their institutions vacant for recommendations from Mantralaya.

The SMS, which went out on Monday, the day on which colleges put out their first merit list, has been issued by the Association's secretary Dr G B Vishe (principal of Dnyansadhana College, Thane) and states: “Dear Principal, Remember our promise 2 Dr Andhale. 3-5 seats 4 Mantralya recommendations thru JD. It's a request mandatory...Dr Vishe.”

The Dr Andhale he refers to is Dr Madhukar Andhale, joint director of higher education, Mumbai region. Degree colleges need his approval for a variety of works, including teachers' pension, appointment of new teachers, handing out of staff salaries and for increasing the number of divisons and seats. Over 500 colleges come under the joint director, which is why the SMS has been sent in his name.

The principals who've got the SMS are worried and angry because a record number of students -- 1,83,974 -- have cleared HSC exams this year in the Mumbai region, and the admissions process is bound to get messy with students wanting only 'cream colleges' of their choice. However, they do not know how to respond yet as the SMS comes from their own Association and mentions the joint director's name.

The college heads this paper spoke to refused to be identified for fear of invoking the joint director's wrath. They said that while they were upset about this interference in the admissions process, that too for the benefit of those in Mantralaya, they also didn't want grants to their colleges to be held up because of their opposition to the "request."

One principal told this paper: "If the joint director had sent a special request to us to favour a particular student, we wouldn't have complained. But it is not acceptable for the secretary of MUCPA to send the SMSes in his official capacity. In all probability, the MUCPA secretary is trying to get into the good books of the joint director."

Another principal said college authorities had enough pressure already from politicians and other VIPs, and such SMSes made things even worse.

Vishe denied sending any such SMS. However, a copy of the SMS sent to one of the principals clearly shows that the sender's telephone number is the same as Vishe's.

Joint director Dr Andhale said, "I really don't understand why they are sending SMSes asking principals to reserve seats for our department. One principal called me regarding the issue, but we denied any role in sending the messsage. We have never asked any principal to reserve any admissions for me. In fact, I called Dr Vishe asking for a clarification. He said he did not sent messages to many principals, just to two or three."

Audrina Patridge

Audrina Patridge stars on The Hills. We're fans! Maybe you recognize Audrina Patridge from that show ... or from those hot nude pics that surfaced online in March 2008. Or perhaps both.

Anyway, time for a little background info.

Born and raised in Yorba Linda, Ca., in (yes) Orange County, Audrina Patridge got on our nerves at first, as we thought she was kinda phony and plastic looking, but we came around eventually as she and Lauren Conrad became close friends and roommates.

Needless to say, we'll take Audrina Patridge over Heidi Montag. But soon enough, Audrina and LC had their own set of problems. Right now it looks as though Audrina may move out of Lauren's guest house. Oh well.

Audrina has a job at Epic Records, as shown on The Hills, but aspires to be an actress and model as well. Audrina Patridge is now dating Tal Cooperman, having dated Shannon Leto, Brian Drolet and of course, Justin-Bobby Brescia, in the past.

She has two sisters, Samantha and Casey Patridge. Casey just had a baby!

In March 2008, Audrina became the subject of scandal when naked pics of her were leaked online (as we mentioned earlier). She admitted that they were, in fact, Audrina Patridge nude photos and that she had tried out for Playboy at age 19. Sure. We bet they were "leaked" accidentally. Mmm hmm.

They were hot, though, that's for damn sure. Hopefully she can rise above the scandal (or use it to her advantage if that's what she's after) and go back to being the good friend we know on The Hills.

Jamie Lynn Spears

Ding dang it! Jamie Lynn Spears went and got herself pregnant at 16 years of age. The father is some guy named Casey Aldridge, her "longtime" boyfriend.

Fortunately, because he's less than two years older than her, Casey won't be charged with statutory rape of Jamie Lynn now that she's with child. Phew!

When hearing that some schlub got Jamie Lynn Spears pregnant, how proud must Britney Spears have been? After she got jealous and took off her pants, that is?

And how awful of a mother must Lynne Spears be? Way to go, Jamie Lynn Spears! In other news, her Nickelodeon show, Zoey 101, has shot up in the ratings since!

Lindsay Lohan Actually Shows Up For Work

Gone are those bad ol’ days of driving drunk, snorting coke and screwing every male in sight being late to the set!

Lindsay Lohan - who began shooting her guest role on ABC’s Ugly Betty on Saturday - has been earning rave reviews from the cast and crew.

“She was terrific - a pleasure,” Ugly Betty creator Silvio Horta said. “She came in early and was very pleasant.”

Maybe this is what Lilo needs to get back in the swing of work and turn her train wreck life around, a la Britney Spears on How I Met Your Mother.

On the America Ferrera-driven series, Horta says Lindsay Lohan will play Kimberly, “a queen bee girl who Betty went to high school with. They’re going to run into each other. Kimberly’s life has taken a turn for the worst.”

Lindsay will return for five episodes next season, but first, Lohan’s Ugly Betty character appears on this spring’s May 22 season finale “in a flashback” dodge ball game:

“Kimberly is doing the picking, and it doesn’t turn out well for Betty.”

Hopefully, Ryan Piers Williams bucks this trend and picks America Ferrera for good one of these years. Get engaged, already!

David Cook is Not a Ladies Man

Now that he’s dating Kimberly Caldwell, it may not matter very much.

But David Cook says he was never really a ladies man, lacking the confidence necessary to sweep a potential mate off her feet.

“Looking a pretty woman in the eye and convincing her I’m worth taking a chance on is different,” Cook said recently, when asked to compare his stage bravado with his personal life. “It takes a specific brand of guts, and it’s not the kind I have.”

David Cook may not be smooth, but the American Idol champion wouldn’t have to say much to win over most women.

Britney Spears to Sell L.A. Home

Britney Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, intends to sell her Studio City home in the latest liquidation of her assets, a court revealed Tuesday.

The hilltop house, located in a gated community, has been the scene of the recent drama in the singer’s life, such as the night(s) in January when she was forcibly taken from the property and forced into a psychiatric ward.

No word officially on where she’ll be moving, but as we reported Tuesday, she’s looking to ditch Hollywood and move to the quieter Valley.

Celebrity news site TMZ has obtained pictures of the Calabasas mansion where Britney Spears is hoping to live … and let’s just say it’s not small.

A shot of Britney Spears’ possible new pad in Calabasas, Calif.

Follow the link for the full photo gallery of this place, which has to be seen to be believed, and is perfect to host Brit’s next reality show.

Come on, you know it’s coming one of these months.

Jamie Lynn Spears: The Due Date Nears!

As Britney Spears looks to sell her home in the Hollywood Hills for a quieter routine in the suburbs, she can take a cue from her sister!

Jamie Lynn Spears, 17, already the portrait of domesticity, is getting ready to welcome her first child with her fiancé, Casey Aldridge.

Britney will reportedly be flying home to Louisiana any day now for the birth of Sean Preston and Jayden James’ baby cousin! Yay!

A source says Jamie Lynn Spears, who is due in early July, has “not been feeling well” recently, causing the fam to push up travel plans.

Britney Spears (circa early 2000s) and lil’ sis Jamie Lynn Spears.

Jamie Lynn’s baby bump has been growing at a ridiculous rate in recent weeks, leading many observers to speculate that the birth is imminent.

Britney and Jamie Lynn’s father, Jamie Spears, and older brother, Bryan Spears, will also be making the trip, as will Britney’s personal assistant.

Read the rest of this entry

Lehman Posts Loss and Plans to Raise Capital

The firm posted a loss of $2.8 billion for the second quarter and said that it will raise up to $6 billion in fresh capital from investors

jessica alba

Jessica Alba gave Honor Marie Warren at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles this weekend.

Husband Cash Warren was by his wife’s bedside during the blessed event, as Alba’a dad was overheard saying “she’s beautiful.”

We have no doubt she is.

Celebrity Fashion Nightmares: Britney Spears

Blonde, tan and wearing what appears to be a rainbow apron or some sort of poncho, an increasingly sane, but still rather acne riddled and trashy-looking Britney Spears stepped out for a meal in West Hollywood, Calif., on Friday.

Reportedly, she met up with friend and ex-manager Larry Rudolph.

Hopefully if he takes over the reins of her career again, as has been rumored, he’ll put her in better outfits than this. Are you serious? Who exchanges money for this crap? And who dresses Britney before she leaves the house?

How do you feel about Britney Spears’ outfit: Love it or Shove it?

Rani days are here again!

And now that Rani Mukherjee’s home is organised, she has signed another Yash Raj film, and that too with a new director. Confirms a source close to Rani, “Rani has been totally immersed in getting her house in order. Her dream house, done up by Sussanne Roshan (and not Twinkle Khanna as reported in a part of the media) had become her primary obsession and that’s why she hasn’t been signing any new films, not because she’s getting married. As for the rumours of her impending marriage, she had laid down bets with her close friend that the date set down in the press - February 10, 2008 - will come and go and she’d remain single. Rani now dares anyone else to set another date. She’ll win the bet again.”

According to a family friend Rani is a close friend, not just of Adi but of the entire family. “Yashji and his wife are also very fond of her,” says the family friend. With one more Yash Raj film Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic on the anvil, Rani has just signed another Yash Raj film, the only film she has given the nod to in the past six months. Says our source, “In fact now that her home is completely done, Rani is ready to sign more films.”

In spite of Tara Rum Pum and Laga Chunri Mein Daag not doing as well as expected last year, Rani Mukherjee continues to be a Yash Raj loyalist, and not for reasons that people seem to believe. According to people in the know there are no marriage plans between Rani and the Yash Raj scion, Aditya Chopra in the near future.

In spite of the recent setback, Yash Raj Films continues to sign new directors for big-budget projects. The latest recruit to the Yash Raj oeuvre is debutant Anurag Singh who will direct Rani Mukherjee. She’s now embarking on another phase in her career and is all set to be directed by Anurag Singh for a film featuring Shahid Kapoor.

Singh has no other feature film to his credit. But he has produced two films - Hum To Mohabbat Karega and Jurm, and has done films as an associate director with Rakesh Roshan. He came into the Yash Raj fold as associate director on Dhoom 2 and was immediately recognised by Aditya Chopra as a talented movie maker.

Says a source, “Though some of Yash Raj films, directed by debutantes like Vijay Krishna Acharya (Tashan) and Anil Mehta (Aaja Nachle), have proved disastrous, Aditya Chopra continues to believe in new talent. He feels that for every Tashan gone wrong there will be a Chak De India that goes right. Beginning with Anurag Singh, the banner is in the process of signing a number of new directors for big projects. And Rani continues to believe in Yash Raj. Not that she isn’t open to outside offers, but Yash Raj remains her priority.”
mumbai news

Now on, it’s om shanti om in tarannum’s bar

Patrons of Deepa Bar in Vile Parle (W) - where Tarannum and other bar girls once danced the night away while they drank and showered the girls with currency notes - would gasp in disbelief if they pass by the place after a few months.

One of the most popular and notorious dance bars in Mumbai in its heydays, the night club is about to turn into a haven of tranquillity and spirituality; the only sound one would hear soon would be a resounding Om.

The bar has been shut for over two months now but the buzz is that Sudhakar Shetty, the owner of the place, has decided to convert the 4,500 square feet property into a yoga and medical centre, inspired by yoga exponent Baba Ramdev. He wants to come up with a centre that offers spiritual solace and medical facilities.

Sources said the entire building that housed the bar with its three halls will be pulled down to make way for the centre at an estimated cost of Rs 35 crore.

The centre will hold regular yoga sessions and Baba Ramdev himself is expected to hold classes at the venue whenever he is in town.

A source, on condition of anonymity, said, "There are plans to have two main halls for yoga classes, a garden and small rooms to treat patients suffering from arthritis, diabetes, blood pressure, etc. The centre will have in-house doctors."

It is learnt that applications for necessary permissions have already been filed. The centre will require a licence from the state health department for which necessary applications have been sent to the ministry concerned. For other licences, applications have been sent to the BMC.

If everything goes to plan, the centre will commence operations in four months.

Shetty said, "We hope to get Baba Ramdev Maharaj to lay the foundation stone and inaugurate the centre once it is constructed. His teachings have done wonders to the world and his frequent visits will help Mumbaikars."

Most popular dance bar

Deepa Bar and Restaurant was wildly popular among the clientele of dance bars but it hit the headlines in 2005 during the investigation into match-fixing in cricket. Bar dancers were suspected of being a small but important link in the alleged nexus between bookies, the Hindi film industry and criminal gangs. One such link was thought to be Tarannum Khan, a bar dancer at Bar and Restaurant, who was raided by the I-T department for allegedly amassing wealth disproportionate to her income. It gained further notoriety when it was revealed that actor Aditya Panscholi had taken Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan to the restaurant during a tour of Mumbai's nightspots. However, its fortunes plummeted following the ban on dance bars. It has been closed for over two months now.

Video grabs to end sra land grab

With SRA schemes plagued by allegations by slum-dwellers about builders 'obtaining their consent' by deceit, the state government has decided to make it mandatory for developers to photograph and videograph the process, which is to be carried out in the presence of its officials. The expenses will have to be borne by developers.

According to the new rules announced on Wednesday, it has been made compulsory for developers to photograph slum-dwellers consenting to the SRA scheme standing in front of their house. Secondly, the slum-dwellers have to be videographed giving their consent to the SRA scheme.

A government official will monitor the entire process.

The rules have been modified with a view to rid corruption and litigation which have plagued the scheme since its inception over a decade ago.

The rules for the SRA scheme were modified after several projects got entangled in legal wrangles following conflicting claims by rival developers on the number of slum-dwellers who have accepted their rehabilitation offer. A developer needs the consent of at least 70 per cent of the residents of a slum to get the necessary permissions from the SRA to go ahead with the project. Since SRA schemes are very profitable, it is not unusual for more than one developer to approach slum-dwellers with offers to redevelop their properties.

At times, developers have been accused of including bogus names in a slum just to inflate the number of beneficiaries and reach the magical figure of 70 per cent.

Under pressure to make the process transparent, the government modified the rules.

Henceforth, each slum-dweller will have to give an affidavit on Rs 100 stamp paper indicating his or her willingness to become the member of a scheme promoted by a developer. The slum-dweller will also have to give fingerprints to keep out bogus names from the list of beneficiaries.

Why are toppers only from Latur?

With 17-year-old Kalyani Joshi from Latur emerging the state HSC topper this year with a record 99 per cent score, the much talked about 'Latur pattern' to succeed in SSC and HSC exams again seems to have worked.

But this time, it's got State Education Board officials thinking, especially as there is also an unprecedented rise in percentiles obtained by students from Latur this year.

State HSC topper Kalyani Joshi with her parents

Latur division tops the overall pass percentage in Maharashtra too, with 90.79 per cent students clearing the exams this year. Kalyani's score is the highest percentile scored by a HSC student so far.

While Pune and Mumbai have the best educational facilities, rarely have these regions figured in the toppers' list compared to Latur.

This, coupled with the fact that for the last few years, toppers have consistently been from Latur, is now raising questions over the standard of assessment in the division.

Board officials are now seriously considering making divisions exchange answer-sheets for correction, to maintain uniformity, as answer-sheets corrected in the same region leads to questions about transparency in assessment.

"The record of having the highest score ever by a student is a pleasant surprise. We will have a meeting to analyse the results.

We want to find out why the percentiles have gone up so suddenly," said Vijaysheela Sardesai, chairperson, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education.
Kalyani Joshi
The meeting which is expected to take place in a few days will have education experts, Board officers and some school principals too.

So what is the secret of Latur's success? The 'Latur pattern' is a combination of special training and intensive coaching. Students solve a series of probable question papers and attend coaching sessions to prepare them for the exams.

"Colleges and schools in Latur take the SSC and HSC exams very seriously," said M R Kadam, chairman of Latur regional board and education director for the state, adding they will discuss the possibility of sending answer-sheets from one region to another.

Kadam says the rise in percentiles in Latur could be because this year, for the first time, there are 20 marks for internally held practical exams in all subjects. Earlier, these marks were restricted to science and maths. Also, the syllabus and pattern of question papers have changed.

Former member of Mumbai division of the Education Board, Bapusaheb Rege, said it is possible to send answer-sheets from one region to another for greater transparency. "Answer-sheets from one region can be sent to the neighbouring region," he said, adding that answer-sheets of toppers from all regions should be re-assessed before the final results so that a standard quality is maintained.

CONFIDENT ABOUT MY SCORE: KALYANI

Kalyani Joshi, from Mahatma Gandhi Junior College in Ahmedpur in the Latur Division, credited her success to being regular with her lessons.

After appearing for the exams, she was sure she would figure in the merit list. She studied for eight hours daily through the academic year and did not attend any private classes. "I am thankful to my teachers who supported me," Kalyani said.

When asked whether she would have had a similar score had she appeared from another region, said Kalyani who wants to become an electronics engineer, "Anybody can check my answer papers. I am very confident I'd get the same score."

In the SSC exams, she had got 84 per cent and 93 per cent in her Class XI exams.
mumbai news

OMG! The Hollywood Gossip Turns Two!

Two years ago today, The Hollywood Gossip burst on the scene with a single blog. Appropriately, on the devilish date of 6/6/06, Lindsay Lohan was the topic.

What a wild ride it’s been since. To commemorate our second birthday, we’re taking a look back at the stars who generated the most traffic on our site for each of our 24 months in the crazy biz they call celebrity gossip…

June 2006: Heather Mills. Heather Mills sucks. But that one-legged, gold-digging ex-call girl sure did give us some great stories for a time.

July 2006: Nicole Richie. By this point, Nicole may not have eaten in six months. Brody Jenner, who dated her briefly, tried in vain to force-feed her.

August 2006: Kristin Cavallari. Speaking of Brody, he used to date Kristin Cavallari! They were a super-hot couple for months (an eternity by his standards).

September 2006: Lindsay Lohan. It seems like ancient history now, but in 2006, the cutie was still in the early stages of her downward spiral.

October 2006: Lindsay Lohan. Drinking, partying, sleeping with anyone with a pulse, making awful movies: Why shouldn’t LiLo win two straight months?

November 2006: Chris Ivery. Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo made news when she got engaged to longtime beau Chris Ivery on her birthday. A year later, also on her birthday, Ellen Pompeo and Ivery got married in New York!

December 2006: Paris Hilton. Skanky. Worthless. Always in the news. We’re surprised it took Paris six whole months to top our list, to be honest.

Britney Spears: No Pants

January 2007: Britney Spears. Fresh off her divorce from K-Fed, Brit Brit went on an epic binge of drinking, random sexual encounters and clubbing with no pants. Hanging out Paris Hilton certainly helped the cause.

February 2007: Antonella Barba. This New Jersey-ite couldn’t sing all that well, but her oral skills were on full display. If you know what we mean. We mean there were pics on the Internet of her servicing some schmoe.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Hollywood Gossip Caption Contest 33

Welcome, celebrity news readers, to The Hollywood Gossip Caption Contest, our fun Friday afternoon tradition. How does the Caption Contest work?

* Take a look at the celebrity picture below
* Think of a caption for that photo
* Click “comments,” fill out form

That’s it! You can post as many times as you like, and make ‘em whatever you want! Last week we featured the odd pairing of Kim Kardashian and … Michael Lohan.

This week’s subject: proud papa-to-be Clay Aiken!

Clayton Aiken

Explosion at chemical plant leaves 3 dead

Amassive explosion inside the polymer plant of Reliance Industries at Nagothane in neighbouring Raigad district killed three persons and left near 50 persons seriously injured.

The incident took place at Reliance’s IPCL plant, some 100 km from Mumbai, when engineers, technicians and workers were trying to repair a cyclone filter, a critical part of the polymer plant, which had malfunctioned on Thursday night forcing authorities to shut the polymer production.

As the maintenance work of the cyclone filter began, a small explosion took place, followed by a big one seconds later. Three persons, including an electrical engineer, who were in close proximity of the cyclone filter bore the brunt, with engineer Ramdas Shingade’s body blown to bits.

In all, 46 workers, engineers and technicians present in the periphery were injured, eight of them critically. The injured were first taken to Reliance’s hospital on the plant premises and 21 of them were later shifted to Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital at Lodhiwal village, while the rest were shifted to Mumbai. Twenty-one injured have been admitted to Harkisondas Hospital and four to Bhatia hospital.

The blast

The IPCL plant at Nagothane manufactures linear low density polymer (LLD polymer) which is used as raw material to manufacture soft plastic.

The plant has a critical component called cyclone filter where end product polymer granules and extra gases gather before the granules and the gases get separated. This filter got choked on Thursday night and authorities shut down the plant operation.

At 8.30 am, maintenance work on the filter started and nearly 100 persons including workers, engineers, technicians got into act.

According to eye-witnesses, at around 11.15 am a worker saw some flames emerging out of the filter which was followed by a blast. Seconds later, another major blast took place. The asbestos sheets near the filter were shattered and caught fire and acted as missiles. Most workers got splinter injuries due to the asbestos pieces and also sustained burns.

Electrical Engineer Ramdas Shingade, who was the closest to the filter was blown to pieces, while technicians Suresh Pawaskar and Prasad Kakade also died later.

The Reliance plant

Ashok Eknath Nerkar, 44, a technician in the plant for the past 16 years and who was standing a little away from the filter, is among the injured.

“I heard a small blast, but before I realised what had happened, a second explosion took place and a chunk of concrete hit my helmet on the left side. My helmet cracked, my specs shattered and I fell unconscious,” said Nerkar, who is admitted with injuries on his left ear.

Mechanical engineer Sudhakar Barkul, 44, was lucky to escape with burn injuries on his leg and face. He had moved away just 15 seconds before the explosion to work on another machine.