Around 10.30 p.m. on Saturday, a huge explosion in a container holding dangerous chemicals in Surat city left four workers dead and 20 others hurt, according to the police.
“We recovered one body yesterday night from the factory premises and three other dead bodies were recovered today morning from the same site. Twenty others have suffered injuries and are being treated in a hospital,” police inspector D V Baldania of Sachin GIDC police station said on Sunday.
According to chief fire officer Basant Pareek, who is responsible for Surat, the incident took place at the Anupam Rasayan India Limited factory, which is situated in the Sachin Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) region.
He claimed that, based on the victims' testimony, it appeared that the chemical's high temperature may have caused the explosion. More information won't be accessible until the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report is turned in and other investigations are finished. According to a statement from the Anupam Rasayan firm, the "unfortunate fire incident" happened at one of the factory's manufacturing blocks.
“The exact reason for the blast is yet to be ascertained. The container was filled with a chemical that would have led to the explosion. A rise in temperature could be one of the reasons behind the blast but we need to wait for more details,” said Pareek.
“The cause for the incident is being investigated by our special team. Our priority is currently our workers and employees. As a responsible corporate, we stand committed to supporting our affected employees and their families," the company said.
“We are trying to assess the damage and will take appropriate actions to operationalise the plant shortly. Also, we are covered for the loss of assets and loss of profits under insurance," it added.