Daijiworld Media Network - Bharuch

Bharuch, Oct 17: Five workers were killed and five others injured in an explosion at a chemical manufacturing unit in Gujarat’s Bharuch district late on Friday, officials said on Saturday.

The blast occurred around 10 pm during a hydrogenation process at SynZeal Pharmachem in the Saykha Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) area of Vagra taluka. The explosion reportedly triggered a leak of toxic methylene dichloride (MDC) gas.

The force of the blast ripped apart a reactor tank, scattering machinery parts across the factory premises, Bharuch Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manisha Manani said. The unit, established in Saykha about a year ago, manufactures pharmaceutical intermediates, she added.

Bharuch Superintendent of Police Akshyaraj Makwana identified the deceased as Jaydeep Maheshbhai Patel and Bhavik Dilipkumar Vasava, both from Amod; Vrund Talaviya from Talala in Gir Somnath district; and Aniket Harilal Gautam and Arjunkumar Ramsingh Gautam, both from Uttar Pradesh.

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

An official from the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) said the explosion occurred during the hydrogenation process and led to the toxic gas leak.

Officials from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, DISH and the police reached the site following the incident. The exact cause of the explosion is being investigated.