Gujarat: 5 Workers Killed, 5 Injured in Explosion at Bharuch Chemical Unit

New Update

Five workers were killed and five others injured after an explosion ripped through a chemical manufacturing unit in Gujarat’s Bharuch district, triggering a toxic gas leak.

The blast occurred around 10 pm on Friday at SynZeal Pharmachem in the Saykha GIDC industrial area of Vagra taluka, officials said. The explosion reportedly took place during a hydrogenation process and led to a leak of methylene dichloride (MDC) gas.

The force of the explosion tore apart a reactor tank and scattered machinery parts across the factory premises, Bharuch Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manisha Manani said.

The unit, established in Saykha around a year ago, manufactures pharmaceutical intermediates, she added.

Bharuch Superintendent of Police Akshyaraj Makwana said five workers died in the incident, while five others sustained injuries and were taken for treatment.

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

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, the police officer said.

Officials from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health, and the police reached the site following the incident.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the explosion and the subsequent gas leak. Further details are awaited.

Also Read: Cylinder Blast Causes Fire at Confectionery Near Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh