Gujarat: One dead in fire at chemical factory

A labourer working at a pesticide factory in Dahej industrial area of Gujarat's Bharuch district was killed after a fire broke out in the unit's effluent treatment plant on Friday, police said.

A labourer working at a pesticide factory in Dahej industrial area of Gujarat's Bharuch district was killed after a fire broke out in the unit's effluent treatment plant on Friday, police said. The deceased was identified as Ramkumar Chaudhary (40), who was working at the treatment plant when the fire erupted, Bharuch Superintendent of Police Rajendrasinh Chudasama said.

Two fire tenders were rushed to the spot after getting a call about the blaze in the afternoon, he said, adding that it was doused within an hour. "After the fire was extinguished, Chaudhary's body was found lying in the debris. He was the only person working in the effluent treatment plant when the mishap occurred. Nobody else was injured in the incident," Chudasama said.

Factory inspector N D Vaghela told reporters that presence of some chemical or its reaction in the effluent treatment plant may have triggered the fire, but the exact reason would be known after a probe..