5 dead, 6 injured as reactor blast rocks Gujarat chemical plant

The explosion triggered a leak of methylene dichloride gas, leaving the plant and surrounding areas shrouded in haze. Emergency teams rushed to the site as police and district authorities launched rescue operations and an investigation.Deadly blast kills five labourers in GujaratA reactor explosion at a chemical plant in Gujarat's Bharuch district killed five workers and injured six others late Friday night. The blast occurred during a hydrogenation process at Synzeel Pharmachem in the Saykha GIDC industrial estate in Bharuch’s Vagra area.The explosion triggered a leak of methylene dichloride (MDC) gas, leaving the plant and surrounding areas shrouded in haze. Emergency teams rushed to the site as police and district authorities launched rescue operations and an investigation.BLAST TRIGGERS GAS LEAKThe explosion took place while a 15-kilolitre-capacity reactor was operating during the hydrogenation process. The force of the blast was so powerful that debris from the reactor landed outside the company premises.The explosion was heard across a radius of around 15 kilometres, according to the inputs available. Parts of heavy machinery and metal sheets were scattered across the plant following the blast. The subsequent MDC gas leak created a thick haze inside and around the facility. Workers and others at the site complained of severe eye irritation, while some workers reportedly fell ill after exposure to the gas.The incident triggered panic across the Saykha industrial estate. Crowds gathered near the company as fire engines and ambulances reached the spot.RESCUE OPERATIONS AND INVESTIGATION Police and district officials arrived soon after receiving information about the explosion. The bodies of the victims were taken to Bharuch Civil Hospital. The injured were admitted to private hospitals in Bharuch and Vadodara for treatment.Teams from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) began investigating the cause of the blast and examining whether safety norms had been followed.The company, which began operations with 53 employees, had not yet completed a year in the Saykha GIDC industrial estate, according to the information provided.FOUR VICTIMS IDENTIFIEDFour of the five victims have been identified as Jaideep Patel, 27, a shift in-charge from Vagra; Aniketkumar Harikishor, 24; Arjun Ramsingh Gautam, 20; and Vrund Talavia.Authorities were still verifying the identity of the fifth deceased worker and collecting details about the injured.Bharuch Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manisha Manani said the blast occurred during the hydrogenation process. She added that the GPCB and DISH teams would assess the circumstances surrounding the explosion and determine the next steps in the investigation.- EndsWith inputs from Vickey Joshi