Five workers were killed and five others injured after an explosion at a chemical manufacturing unit in Gujarat's Bharuch district on the night of Oct. 16, 2026, officials said. The blast occurred around 10 p.m. during a hydrogenation process at SynZeal Pharmachem in the Saykha GIDC area of Vagra taluka.
The explosion ripped apart the reactor tank and scattered machinery parts across the premises, according to Bharuch Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manisha Manani. The blast also caused a leak of methylene dichloride gas, officials said.
SynZeal Pharmachem, which manufactures pharmaceutical intermediates, was set up in Saykha about a year ago. Superintendent of Police Akshyaraj Makwana confirmed the casualty figures and identified the deceased and injured workers, who came from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
An official of the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health said the blast during the hydrogenation process triggered the MDC gas leak. Teams from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, DISH and police reached the site, and the cause of the explosion is under investigation.
