At least two workers were killed and 20 others injured after a boiler explosion triggered a massive fire at a pharmaceutical factory in Gujarat’s Bharuch district early Wednesday. Acciording to the reports, the incident took place around 2.30 am at VK Pharma located in the Saykha GIDC area. The explosion led to a large fire that caused the factory structure to collapse, said Bharuch District Collector Gaurang Makwana.
“The intensity of the blast was so severe that the factory structure collapsed. While the majority of workers managed to escape, two of them got trapped and died. Their bodies were recovered from the rubble after the fire was doused. Nearly 20 workers escaped with minor injuries in the incident,” Makwana said as quoted by PTI.
Firefighters, police and forensic teams searched the site as reports suggested that one worker might still be missing. Officials from the Director Industrial Safety and Health Department have started an investigation to check if the factory had the necessary permissions and safety measures in place.
Mahesh K. Chuna, Fire Fighter of Nagar Palika, Bharuch, said they received the call about the fire between 2.30 and 3 am. “We got the fire under control and have recovered 2 dead bodies. It took almost 4 to 5 hours to control the fire,” he said.
The exact cause of the explosion is yet to be determined.
(With inputs from agencies)