Five Workers Killed in Reactor Blast at Bharuch Pharma Unit
Five workers were killed and at least five others injured when a reactor exploded at a pharmaceutical intermediates unit in the Saykha GIDC industrial area of Vagra taluka in Gujarat’s Bharuch district around 10 pm on Friday, officials said. The blast took place at SynZeal Pharmachem, a unit set up about a year ago, and the injured are undergoing treatment.
What Officials Have Said
Bharuch Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manisha Manani said the explosion is suspected to have occurred during a hydrogenation process. The blast tore apart the reactor tank and threw machinery parts across the premises, according to officials. Superintendent of Police Akshyaraj Makwana confirmed the number of dead and injured.
An official of the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) said the explosion also caused a leak of methylene dichloride, a toxic solvent. Teams from DISH, the Gujarat Pollution Control Board and the police reached the site, and the exact cause is under investigation. PTI reported five injured, while IANS put the number at six.
Workers Far From Home
Officials said the dead included workers from Amod taluka in Bharuch and from Gir Somnath district, as well as two men from Uttar Pradesh. Several of the injured are from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, reflecting how much Gujarat’s chemical belt depends on migrant labour.
For these families, the loss of a wage earner is often sudden and severe. Questions about compensation, insurance and the employer’s safety record are likely to follow as the inquiry proceeds.
Why Plant Safety Matters
Bharuch district, with industrial estates at Dahej, Jhagadia, Ankleshwar and Saykha, is one of India’s largest chemical and pharmaceutical hubs. Accidents here affect not only workers but also villages nearby when toxic gases escape. Officials said they are checking whether the unit followed the required safety rules.
Hydrogenation reactions use hydrogen under pressure and need strict controls on temperature, pressure and equipment. IPB has reported similar incidents before, including a boiler blast in Nagpur district.
The findings of DISH and the pollution control board will show what went wrong at the young unit. Until then, the families of the five workers await answers and support.
Based on reporting by The Federal, ETV Bharat / PTI, Daijiworld and OrissaPOST / IANS.
Image: EIL / Wikimedia Commons (petrochemical complex at Dahej, Bharuch district).
