Blast in chemical company; one dead

One worker was killed while 11 others were injured, three of them seriously when a chemical barrel exploded in a firm in Ankleshwar GIDC area of Bharuch district in Gujarat, police said today.
According to Ankleshwar-GIDC police, a barrel containing '4-Hydroxybenzoic Acid' exploded late last night when some of the labourers were weighing barrels of this chemical in the manufacturing unit of Survival Technologies Pvt Ltd, located in GIDC area.
The deceased was identified as Mohammad Zahid Hussain (19), who used to work and live at the factory, said police. Those who are grievously injured are Lalan Paswan, Mitesh Vasani and Prakash Paswan.

"All of them are labourers working in that factory. When they were weighing the chemicals on an electronic scale last night, one of the drums containing 4-Hydroxybenzoic Acid suddenly exploded due to short circuit in the scale," said Assistant Sub Inspector of Ankleshwar GIDC Paresh Hasoti.
"Since Zahid was very near to that drum, he died of severe burn injuries due to the acid, while three others, who were at a distance from the scale, received burn injuries.
"Apart from them, eight other labourers received minor burn injuries. We have lodged a case of accidental death and started our investigation," said Hasoti.