Fire breaks out at chemical company in Gujarat’s Bharuch; no deaths reported

Bharuch, Aug 17 (IANS) A fire broke out at a company’s premises in the Dahej GIDC industrial area of Bharuch district on Monday, prompting the deployment of more than five firefighting teams.

The blaze started in the company’s warehouse, where drums containing solvent were stored, officials said.

The incident occurred in the early hours of August 17 at Vision Products Pvt Ltd, located near Vav village in Vagra taluka. Thick clouds of smoke were visible from a distance as the fire spread through the warehouse.

Reports from the area said loud sounds resembling blasts were heard up to around seven kilometres away, causing concern among people in nearby areas.

However, Dinesh Gamit, Deputy Director of the Industrial Safety and Health Department, said there had been no explosion. “The fire started in the solvent drums stored in the company’s warehouse. There was no blast here,” he said.

Officials said no one was present inside the warehouse when the fire broke out, and no casualties had been reported. Around eight fire tenders were deployed and had largely brought the blaze under control.

Cooling operations were continuing to prevent the fire from reigniting. “The solvent in the drums has to burn out completely. It may take another one to one-and-a-half hours to completely extinguish the fire,” they said.

The exact cause of the fire has not yet been established. Officials said a solvent spill or static charge could have triggered the blaze, but the cause would be confirmed only after a detailed assessment.

Vision Products manufactures resin, and the extent of damage to the plant, machinery, raw materials and other property was yet to be assessed.

Officials from the Industrial Safety and Health Department, police and the local administration reached the site as fire-fighting operations continued.

The incident comes in the industrial belt around Dahej, where chemical and petrochemical manufacturing units are concentrated.

A previous fire at a chemical factory in Ahmedabad’s Vatva GIDC on June 28 required 22 fire vehicles and took around four hours to bring under control.

–IANS

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