Kandla, Oct 16 (IANS): Five workers including a supervisor lost their lives at the Emami Agro plant in Kandla, Kutch district. The accident occurred while they were cleaning a chemical tank.

According to initial reports, the workers died due to exposure to toxic fumes while cleaning a waste fluid tank at the facility. Among the deceased, four workers were migrant labourers, while one hailed from Patan district.

The accident is believed to have occurred early on Wednesday morning while they were cleaning an oil tank. Both police and factory inspectors have launched an investigation.

The Emami Agrotech plant in Kandla, Gujarat, is an edible oil and biodiesel production facility that produces refined palm and soybean oils, bakery fats, and vanaspati. Its production capacity is 3,200 tonnes per day.

Kutch (East) Superintendent of Police Sagar Bagmar stated that the incident occurred at around 1 a.m. on Wednesday at the Agrotech plant. The workers were cleaning the effluent treatment plant at the time of the accident.

SP Bagmar explained, "One worker entered the tank to remove sludge and lost consciousness. When two other workers rushed in to rescue him, they also fainted. Two more workers followed suit, and ultimately, all five individuals lost their lives."

The victims are identified as Sidharth Tiwari, Ajmat Khan, Ashish Gupta, Ashish Kumar, and Sanjay Thakur.

He added that although they died on the spot, other workers at the site immediately took them to a government hospital, where all five were pronounced dead.

There are growing concerns that workers must be provided with adequate safety equipment while performing the dangerous task. The lack of proper safety measures is being widely discussed, and authorities are now investigating the claims. Further details are expected as the probe progresses.

A case of accidental death has been registered at Kandla police station.