Surat chemical factory fire: No casualties reported; second such incident since 2023
A fire broke out at a facility of chemical producer Aether Industries Limited in Sachin GIDC, Surat, following a series of blasts on Wednesday afternoon. Fire officials said no casualties have been reported so far, but the cause of the fire remains unknown.Soon after the fire broke out, labourers evacuated the factory premises. Locals said […]
A fire broke out at a facility of chemical producer Aether Industries Limited in Sachin GIDC, Surat, following a series of blasts on Wednesday afternoon. Fire officials said no casualties have been reported so far, but the cause of the fire remains unknown.Soon after the fire broke out, labourers evacuated the factory premises. Locals said a series of blasts from chemical containers stored in the warehouse were heard from a considerable distance. Flames and thick smoke were seen rising from different parts of the factory and were visible from afar.
The Surat Fire Department received the fire call at 1:20 pm on Wednesday. Fire tenders from the Bhestan station immediately rushed to the spot after the control room received the alert. After assessing the situation, officials declared a major fire call, prompting additional fire tenders from across the city to be deployed to the site.
Police personnel also reached the spot and managed traffic in the area. Authorities cordoned off a stretch of more than one kilometre around the factory to allow fire tenders and ambulances to move swiftly.
Sources said that over 100 firefighters were involved in battling the blaze. After nearly three hours, the fire was brought under control, and cooling operations are currently underway.
Surat Chief Fire Officer Basant Pareek said, “The cause of the fire is not yet known. Chemical containers stored in the warehouse caught fire and exploded. We spoke with the company’s authorities and confirmed that no one was injured in the incident. Teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory, the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, and the Factory Inspectorate have reached the site and begun investigating the incident. The factory’s shed caught fire. Two wooden timber units in the neighbourhood also caught fire.”
This is the second such incident in 28 months reported at an Aether Industries facility in Sachin GIDC. On November 20, 2023, a major fire had erupted at the company’s plant, leaving ten labourers dead.
Following the 2023 incident, the Surat district collector had ordered an inquiry into the matter. However, the company resumed production at the site after a few days.
Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs.
Expertise
Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs.
Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including:
Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives.
Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress.
Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).
Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More
