Around 40 workers of a chemical factory were injured on Wednesday in a huge fire caused by a blast in a boiler at Dahej in Bharuch district of Gujarat. The Times of India reported five people have been killed in the accident and 30 have been injured; four are reported to be in critical condition.
"Around 35-40 workers sustained burn injuries after the boiler of an agro-chemical company exploded in afternoon. All the injured persons have been shifted to hospitals in Bharuch, and efforts are on to control the fire," said Bharuch collector M.D. Modia.
The blast happened at the factory of Yashashvi Rasayan Private Limited.
The fire has still engulfed the unit, the collector said.
He said residents of Lakhi and Luvara villages located near the factory are being evacuated as a precautionary measure because of the presence of poisonous chemicals near the affected factory.
According to reports, the intensity of the blast was such that it was heard 20km away in some villages of Bhavnagar district, with smoke also visible.