BHARUCH: At least two workers were killed and 20 others injured after a boiler exploded and triggered a major fire at a pharmaceutical factory in Bharuch district of Gujarat in the wee hours of Wednesday, an official said.
The incident took place around 2.30 am at the factory located in Saykha GIDC area, he said.
Rescue and fire teams continued combing the site through the night as one worker was reported missing, raising fears of more casualties.
Police, forensic experts, and industrial safety teams are now conducting a joint investigation to determine the exact cause of the explosion and assess possible safety lapses at the unit.
The explosion’s impact was catastrophic its tremors were felt across the industrial cluster. The shockwave ripped apart factory walls, twisted metal structures, and even shattered glass panels of four to five nearby units.
According to Industrial Safety and Health Officer Dinesh Gamit, the blast occurred during toluene operations inside the factory. “The company was handling around three tonnes of toluene when the explosion took place,” Gamit said, adding that his team rushed to the spot immediately after the incident and has initiated a detailed probe into what triggered the blast.
Bharuch District Collector Gaurang Makwana confirmed that the boiler explosion ignited a massive fire that engulfed the unit before firefighters managed to bring it under control.
“The intensity of the blast was so severe that the factory’s structure collapsed. While most workers escaped in time, two got trapped under debris and died. Their bodies were recovered after the blaze was doused,” Makwana said.
According to him, officials from the Director Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) have also arrived at the site to conduct an inquiry into the incident.
They are checking whether the factory had all the required licences and permissions, he said.
Preliminary reports suggest that around 20 workers sustained minor injuries while attempting to flee the inferno.