3 killed, 1 injured in explosion at pharma unit

Three people were killed and one was injured in blast after fire at a pharmaceutical plant in Padra taluka here, police said on Tuesday.

The blast occurred late last night at Shiv Pharmachem Ltd’s plant in Luna village where acids and various other chemicals are manufactured, they said.

“Three bodies have been recovered from the mishap site and one injured person is admitted to nearby hospital for treatment. We have registered a case against the company. The postmorterm of the bodies is being carried out today,” Padra town police station inspector Mansukh Gurjar told

PTI .

The deceased are yet to be identified, he said.

Six persons were working at the plant when the blast occurred. Two of them managed to come out unhurt, he said.

At least five fire tenders of Vadodara Municipal Corporation, Gujarat Refinery and GSFC were pressed into service to control the blaze, VMC’s chief fire brigade officer H J Tapariya said.

The blaze was contained in the early hours on Tuesday after about five hours of hectic efforts, he added.

The cause of the fire and the subsequent explosion was yet to be ascertained; Gurjar said adding that a probe was on into the incident.