At least seven people were killed and several others injured in a blast caused due to hydrogen cylinder leak at a private company in Gavasad, about 45km away from Vadodara, on Saturday.
The high intensity explosion took place at AIMS Industries Private Limited that bottles oxygen for hospitals and industrial use.
Chief fire officer of Vadodara municipal corporation Parth Brahmbhatt confirmed to THE WEEK that seven persons have been killed in the blast.
The intensity of the blast was so strong that it caused tremors in the vicinity.
The police have began a probe. Sources in the know-how of the developments said the factory inspector would also investigate if the company had necessary permissions and whether safety equipment were in place and in functional condition.
Nilesh Bariya, a youth associated with Vadodara-based environmental NGO Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, told THE WEEK that the impact of the blast could be gauged from the condition of the bodies of the victims.
The victims were rushed to nearby referral hospital and private hospitals as reaching Vadodara would have resulted in precious loss of time. The postmortem of the deceased were also done at the local level.
ACP Sudhir Desai said a thorough investigation is on and that the owners could be booked for negligence.
Meanwhile, relatives of the deceased staged a protest in front of the hospital and refused to accept their mortal remains.
The death toll is likely to go up.
