4 killed in GFL gas leak in Bharuch, police initiate probe
Three were migrant workers, one was a local.
3 min read
Officials of the district administration added that the company had announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the family of each of the deceased workers and also initiated an internal probe into the accident. (Representational Image/PTI)The Bharuch district police Sunday began a probe into the toxic gas leakage from a CMS plant of the Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited (GFL), located in Dahej in Bharuch district, that led to the death of four workers on Saturday.
According to officials of Dahej Marine police station, the four workers were inside the production unit of the CMS plant when a gas leak due to a valve malfunction caused them to inhale toxic fumes and pass out. The workers were rushed to a local hospital, where they succumbed. The Bharuch district police, which took the four bodies into custody on Sunday, said forensic experts and industrial safety teams had been rushed to the spot after the accident on Saturday to investigate the matter.
A senior officer of the Bharuch district police said, “The incident occurred around 9.30 pm on Saturday when a leakage occurred in the distillation unit of the Chloromethane plant (CMS). The plant has a mixture of methyl chloride, CT chloroform, and hydrogen chloride vapour. The leakage affected four workers, who were rushed to the medical unit within the company and then shifted to a multispecialty hospital in Dahej. They had been admitted to an ICU but succumbed in the wee hours of Sunday.”
The deceased have been identified as Rajesh Magnadia, 48, Mahesh Nandlal, 25, Suchitkumar Prasad, 29, and Mudrika Thakor Yadav, 29. While Nandlal and Prasad were natives of Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav hailed from Thana Kharogi in Jharkhand. Magnadia was a local from Bharuch district.
Manisha Manani, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, said, “The bodies of the deceased workers have been taken to the civil hospital for autopsy where their families are present. The administration was informed in the morning and we have initiated an inquiry into the incident.”
The GFL later released a statement saying, “Each family will receive an ex-gratia amount of Rs 30 lakh, along with the full settlement of statutory dues, insurance benefits, and pending salaries. Additionally, to secure the future of our deceased employee’s family, we are offering employment to his ward and sponsoring his education, including his Degree in Engineering. We are also committed to addressing any need of all affected families with personalized support. We are in close touch with the families of the affected individuals to extend due support at this hour of personal loss and distress.”
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