Seven Workers Found Dead in Gujarat Chemical Plant Fire

Seven bodies of missing workers have been recovered from a chemical manufacturing facility in Surat city, Gujarat, following a major fire that broke out on Wednesday. The fire engulfed the premises of Aether Industries Ltd in the Sachin industrial area. Surat Collector Ayush Oak confirmed that out of the seven deceased, one was an employee of the company, while the other six were contract workers.

The bodies were discovered during a search operation conducted by officials in the factory premises. The fire had engulfed the plant, leading to the workers going missing. The deceased individuals have been identified as Divyesh Patel, Santosh Vishwakarma, Sanat Kumar Mishra, Dharmendra Kumar, Ganesh Prasad, Sunil Kumar, and Abhishek Singh.

In addition to the fatalities, 24 people who were injured in the incident are currently receiving treatment at various hospitals. The fire broke out at around 2 am on Wednesday after an explosion occurred in a large tank due to leakage of inflammable chemicals stored inside it. Basant Pareek, the in-charge chief fire officer of Surat, revealed that as many as 15 fire tenders were engaged in a nine-hour-long firefighting operation to bring the blaze under control.

A statement submitted by the company to stock exchanges mentioned that the incident occurred at their manufacturing site in GIDC Sachin, Surat, early in the morning at approximately 1:50 am. The company also reported approximately 25 injuries due to the fire. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

This tragic incident highlights the importance of stringent safety measures in industries dealing with hazardous materials. Authorities and relevant agencies will be examining the circumstances leading to the fire to prevent similar incidents in the future. The local community has expressed condolences to the families of the deceased workers and hopes for a speedy recovery for those injured in the incident.