Five workers killed, five injured in blast at chemical unit in Gujarat's Bharuch

Five workers were killed and five others injured after an explosion at a chemical manufacturing unit in Gujarat’s Bharuch district triggered a toxic gas leak, officials said on Saturday.

The blast occurred around 10 pm on Friday during a hydrogenation process at SynZeal Pharmachem in the Saykha GIDC area of Vagra taluka. The explosion also caused a leak of methylene dichloride (MDC) gas, officials said.

The explosion was so powerful that it ripped apart the reactor tank and scattered machinery parts across the premises, Bharuch Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manisha Manani said.

SynZeal Pharmachem, which was set up in Saykha only a year ago, manufactures pharma intermediates, she said.

Superintendent of Police Akshyaraj Makwana told PTI that five workers were killed and five others sustained injuries in the blast.

The deceased were identified as Jaydeep Maheshbhai Patel and Bhavik Dilipkumar Vasava, both from Amod; Vrund Talaviya from Talala in Gir Somnath district; and Uttar Pradesh natives Aniket Harilal Gautam and Arjunkumar Ramsingh Gautam, he said.

The injured workers were identified as Pavankumar Ramsingh Gautam, Mausamkumar Ramsevak Yadav, Shivdayal Ramavatar Yadav, Pratik Pravin Prajapati and Priyanshu Bahadurlal. They hail from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and are undergoing treatment, Makwana said.

An official of the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) said the blast during the hydrogenation process triggered the leak of methylene dichloride (MDC) gas.

Officials from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, DISH and police reached the site. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.