FOUR workers were killed in a blast at a factory in Chhatral GIDC Phase-4 in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district on Thursday afternoon, police said. The incident occurred at Kovika Dyes & Intermediates, a manufacturer and exporter of dyes located within Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), said inspector J J Gadhavi of Kalol Taluka police station. The explosion took place during pipe-fitting work near a boiler vessel. Preliminary findings suggest the pipe may have burst due to pressure, triggering an explosion, Gadhavi said. A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) is at the spot to investigate the incident, he added.

 

The official identified the deceased workers as Vinodkumar Nandlal Singh (42), Teda Dehari (18) and Sikandar Lakhan Dehari (40), residents of Jharkhand, and Laxman Meena from Udaipur. “Post mortem examination and the process of registering an accidental death case are underway,” Gadhavi said. The FSL will collect samples and conduct tests to determine whether inflammable substances were involved or if there was any negligence, Gandhinagar Superintendent of Police Ravi Teja Vasamsetty said. “Officials from Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) will also visit the site to conduct an investigation,” the SP added.