A reactor that exploded at a pharmaceutical manufacturing unit in Bharuch district of Gujarat late Friday night left six workers serving as the deadliest toys for four days as at least five were killed and another six injured. Reports on Saturday said a gas leak of the chemical methylene dichloride (MDC) was reported after the explosion.
The blast took place at a SynZeal Pharmachem hydrogenation process where a 15 KL reactor was being used in Vagra’s Saykha Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) estate.
The force of the explosion is said to have blown debris over the public from the premises of the company. The damage caused by the explosion was evident in the debris, consisting of machinery parts and pieces of metal sheets, scattered throughout the plant area.
After the explosion, parts of the area were covered in dust and haze due to a chemical leak, it is said. According to reports, workers and others working at the site reported ocular irritation to the astringing.
The six workers, who were injured, were rushed to Bartala hospital in Bharuch and veryan hospital in Vadodara. Corpse of the deceased were transferred to Bharuch Civil Hospital.
This incident caused panic in the industrial estate and police and district police have reached the site to start the rescue operation. The top brass started to investigate the incident and the condition of the liquidated gas and the possible causes for the explosion and the leaked chemical.
Tackling the incident, an investigation was also ordered to be conducted by teams of Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and Industrial Safety and Health Department.
Bharuch Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manisha Manani said that the blast had happened during the “hydrogenation” of the product. As the investigation into the cause of the explosion continues, investigators also want to know if the manufacturing plant adhered to all safety standards at the time it was built.
It is expected that the investigation will determine the cause of the reactor extraordinary and the reason for reported gas leak, and if there was any negligence or overshadowing that caused the death of the workers and injured people.
No additional information on the nature and localization of the damage and/or the victims has been shared in the early reports.