Bharuch: Three workers were killed and around 20 others injured after a powerful explosion ripped through a pharmaceutical factory in Bharuch this morning.

The incident took place around 2:30 a.m. when a boiler exploded inside the Vishalyakarni Pharmachem factory in the Saykha GIDC industrial area, triggering a massive fire that caused the building to collapse.

“The impact of the explosion was so severe that the factory structure caved in. While most workers managed to escape, two were trapped under the debris and lost their lives. Their bodies were recovered after the fire was brought under control,” an official said.

Fire brigade teams rushed to the site and managed to bring the fire under control after several hours of effort, using water jets and fire extinguishers. The bodies of two workers who died due to severe burns were recovered from the debris. Later, one more body was recovered, taking the death toll to three.

Teams from the police, health and safety department, Mamlatdar office, and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) inspected the site once the fire was contained. The cooling process commenced, and forensic and safety assessments have begun.

The blast’s magnitude was such that its sound was heard several kilometers away. Authorities have registered a case of accidental death and initiated an investigation to determine the exact cause of the explosion. DeshGujarat