5 workers killed in explosion at chemical unit in Gujarat's Bharuch

Explosion at chemical manufacturing unit

BHARUCH: At least five workers were killed and five others injured in an explosion at a pharmaceuticals factory in Sayakha GIDC area in Gujarat’s Bharuch, police said.The blast occurred around 10 pm on Friday during a hydrogenation process and triggered a leak of methylene dichloride (MDC) gas, officials said.Bharuch Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manisha Manani said SynZeal Pharmachem, which was set up in Saykha a year ago, manufactures pharmaceutical intermediates.The explosion, suspected to have occurred during the hydrogenation process, was powerful enough to rip apart the reactor tank, scattering machinery parts across the premises, she said.Superintendent of Police Akshyaraj Makwana said that five people died in the blast, while five others sustained injuries.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.

The workers, who hail from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, are undergoing treatment, Makwana said.An official of the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) said the blast during the hydrogenation process triggered a leak of methylene dichloride (MDC) gas.Officials from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, DISH and the police reached the site. The cause of the explosion is being investigated.