Five workers were killed and five injured after an explosion at a chemical manufacturing unit in Gujarat's Bharuch district triggered a toxic gas leak, officials said on Oct. 17, 2026.
The blast occurred around 10 pm on Friday, Oct. 16, during a hydrogenation process at SynZeal Pharmachem in the Saykha GIDC area of Vagra taluka. It also caused a leak of methylene dichloride (MDC) gas.
The explosion ripped apart the reactor tank and scattered machinery parts across the premises, said Bharuch Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manisha Manani. SynZeal Pharmachem, set up in Saykha about a year ago, manufactures pharma intermediates.
Superintendent of Police Akshyaraj Makwana said five workers were killed and five injured. The injured were being treated.
An official of the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health said the blast during hydrogenation triggered the MDC leak. Gujarat Pollution Control Board, DISH and police officials reached the site, and the cause is under investigation.
