Yet another mishap in Gujarat’s chemical industry has claimed four lives. They died on Wednesday after inhaling toxic fumes leaked out as soon as they had removed the lid of a drum containing some chemicals.
The deaths in Gujarat’s chemical industry are generally caused by explosions or while cleaning vessels which stored toxic materials. Sudden inhalation of toxic fumes is a new cause of death in a long time.
Among the dead is the son of the owner of the chemical unit in Mota Borsara village of Mangrol taluka in Surat district.
Four workers and the son of the owner were moving chemical drums in the godown when one of them suddenly opened the lid of a drum. Toxic fumes from the drum immediately engulfed all of them.
All the five collapsed immediately and were rushed to a hospital where four of them died. The fifth one is reportedly recovering.
The owner of the company has been taken into custody while a team of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) is investigating the contents of the drum that produced toxic fumes