A chemical plant explosion in Gujarat’s Bharuch district killed five workers and injured five others during a hydrogenation process on Friday night, prompting investigations by the police, the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board.
The blast occurred around 10 pm at Syn Zeal Pharmachem in the Sayakha GIDC area, officials said. The unit, which was established in Sayakha about a year ago, manufactures pharmaceutical intermediates, according to Bharuch Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manisha Manani.
Officials said the explosion was suspected to have occurred during the hydrogenation process. The force of the blast ripped apart the reactor tank and scattered machinery parts across the factory premises, Manani said.
Bharuch Superintendent of Police Akshyaraj Makwana confirmed that five workers died in the incident and five others were injured. The deceased were identified as Jaydeep Maheshbhai Patel and Bhavik Dilipkumar Vasava, both from Amod; Vrund Talaviya from Talala in Gir Somnath district; and Aniket Harilal Gautam and Arjunkumar Ramsingh Gautam, who were from Uttar Pradesh.
The injured workers were identified as Pavankumar Ramsingh Gautam, Mausamkumar Ramsevak Yadav, Shivdayal Ramavatar Yadav, Pratik Pravin Prajapati and Priyanshu Bahadurlal. The workers, who came from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, were undergoing treatment, Makwana said.
An official from the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health said the blast during the hydrogenation process triggered a leak of methylene dichloride, also known as MDC gas. The incident brought multiple agencies to the site, including officials from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, DISH and the police.
The accident has placed the safety of chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing units in focus, particularly in industrial estates where hazardous processes and chemical handling operate alongside a workforce that often includes migrant workers. The immediate official response has involved securing the site, treating injured workers and beginning an investigation into the cause of the explosion.
The cause of the blast remains under investigation. Officials have not announced whether any regulatory violations were found at the unit or provided details about the extent of the gas leak. Further findings from the police, DISH and pollution-control authorities are expected to establish how the reactor failed and whether safety procedures were followed.
