Five workers killed, five injured in chemical factory blast in BJP-ruled Gujarat
Ahmedabad: Five workers were killed and five others injured in an explosion at a chemical manufacturing unit in Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP)-ruled Gujarat state.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the blast occurred during a hydrogenation process at SynZeal Pharmachem in the Saykha GIDC area of Vagra taluka in Bharuch district, triggering a leak of toxic methylene dichloride (MDC) gas, Indian officials said.
The explosion ripped apart the reactor tank, scattering machinery parts across the factory premises, Bharuch Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manisha Manani said. The unit, set up in Saykha a year ago, manufactures pharmaceutical intermediates, she added.
Emergency teams rushed to the site as police and district authorities launched rescue operations and an investigation into the incident.
The tragedy has raised renewed concerns over industrial safety standards, the enforcement of workplace regulations and the adequacy of safeguards for workers in India’s manufacturing sector. Repeated industrial accidents across the country have highlighted the risks workers face when safety measures, equipment maintenance and emergency preparedness are inadequate.
