Four workers were killed in an explosion at a chemical manufacturing unit in Chhatral GIDC in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district on Thursday afternoon, Gandhinagar SP Ravi Teja Vasamsetty said.
The incident occurred at Kovika Dyes and Intermediates in Phase 4 of the industrial estate when workers were fitting a pipe to a pressure vessel containing chemicals, according to police officials.
Kovika Dyes is a Gujarat-based manufacturer and exporter of synthetic organic chemicals, acid dyes, direct dyes and dye intermediates.
The deceased workers were identified as Vinodkumar Singh (42), Teda Dehari (18) and Sikandar Lakhan Dehari (40), all residents of Jharkhand, and Laxman Meena from Udaipur.
According to preliminary findings, the workers were fitting a pipe to a hot pressure vessel containing chemicals when one of the connecting pipes exploded, causing the casualties, officers said.
The explosion was so powerful that the four workers near the vessel were seriously injured and died on the spot, an officer said.
Although the exact cause of the explosion is not yet known, initial investigations indicate that it may have been caused by excessive pressure build-up inside the vessel.
Police are investigating the cause of the explosion, including whether it resulted from a mechanical failure, a chemical reaction during pipe fitting or a failure to follow safety procedures. Forensic officers are examining the site to establish the sequence of events and determine whether safety norms were followed.