Four workers killed in factory blast at Chhatral GIDC in Gujarat's Gandhinagar

Four workers were killed in an explosion at a dye manufacturing factory in the Chhatral industrial area of Gujarat's Gandhinagar district on Thursday afternoon, police said. The incident occurred at Kovika Dyes & Intermediates, a manufacturer and exporter of dyes located in Phase-4 of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) estate at Chhatral.

Inspector J J Gadhavi of Kalol Taluka Police Station said the explosion took place while workers were carrying out pipe-fitting work near a boiler vessel inside the factory premises. Preliminary findings suggest that a pipe may have ruptured due to excessive pressure, triggering the blast. However, the exact cause of the explosion has yet to be established.

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗲-𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸

According to police, the workers were engaged in pipe-fitting operations near the boiler vessel when the explosion occurred. Gadhavi said investigators were examining whether pressure had built up inside the pipe before it burst. The circumstances leading to the suspected rupture remain under investigation. Four workers lost their lives in the incident, police confirmed. Their identities were not immediately disclosed.

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲

A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) reached the factory to examine the explosion site and collect evidence that could help establish the sequence of events. Investigators are expected to examine the damaged equipment and the circumstances under which the pipe-fitting work was being undertaken.

Police said the initial assessment pointed towards a pressure-related pipe rupture, but a definitive conclusion would depend on the forensic investigation. The incident has raised questions about industrial safety at manufacturing facilities handling pressurised equipment, particularly during maintenance and installation work.

Further details regarding the victims and the precise cause of the explosion are awaited as the investigation continues.