At least two workers were killed and 20 others injured after a boiler exploded and triggered a massive fire at a pharmaceutical factory in Bharuch district, Gujarat, in the early hours of Wednesday.
The incident occurred around 2.30 am at the factory in the Saykha GIDC area. "A powerful boiler explosion inside the factory triggered a massive fire," Bharuch district collector Gaurang Makwana said.
"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," he added.
Firefighters, police and forensic teams are combing the site as some workers reported that one person might still be missing, possibly trapped under debris.
Officials from the Director Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) have arrived to investigate the incident. They are examining whether the factory had all the required licences and permissions.
Mahesh K. Chuna, a fire fighter of Nagar Palika, Bharuch, said, "At around 2:30-3AM at night, I received a call about a fire. The company's name is VK Pharma. We got the fire under control and have recovered 2 dead bodies. It took almost 4 to 5 hours to control the fire."
