Ahmedabad: Five workers died and five others were injured after a powerful reactor explosion at a pharmaceutical chemicals plant in Gujarat’s Bharuch district late on Friday, with the blast also releasing toxic methylene dichloride gas into the industrial estate.
The accident took place shortly before 10 pm at SynZeal Pharmachem, located in the Saykha GIDC industrial area under Vagra taluka. Officials said the unit was carrying out a hydrogenation process when the explosion occurred, damaging equipment and prompting an emergency response from police and industrial-safety agencies.
According to Bharuch Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manisha Manani, the intensity of the explosion was such that it tore apart the reactor tank. Machinery components were thrown across the factory premises, indicating the severity of the blast inside the production area.
Manani said the company had begun operations at Saykha only about a year earlier and manufactures pharmaceutical intermediates, as reported by The New Indian Express.
An official of the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) said the explosion during hydrogenation led to the release of methylene dichloride (MDC), a toxic chemical also known as dichloromethane and widely used as an industrial solvent.
The leak added to the danger at the site and required officials to assess air-safety and contamination risks alongside the rescue operation.
Victims Identified
Bharuch Superintendent of Police Akshyaraj Makwana said five workers were killed in the accident, while five more sustained injuries and were receiving medical treatment.
The dead were identified as Jaydeep Maheshbhai Patel, Bhavik Dilipkumar Vasava, both from Amod
Vrund Talaviya from Talala in Gir Somnath district, Aniket Harilal Gautam, from Uttar Pradesh
Arjunkumar Ramsingh Gautam from Uttar Pradesh
The injured workers were named as Pavankumar Ramsingh Gautam, Mausamkumar Ramsevak Yadav, Shivdayal Ramavatar Yadav, Pratik Pravin Prajapati and Priyanshu Bahadurlal. Police said they were from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and were undergoing treatment after the blast.
Response & Probe
Personnel from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, DISH and the police reached the plant after the explosion. Authorities have begun an investigation to establish what caused the reactor to explode and whether safety protocols, equipment condition or process handling contributed to the incident.