A major fire broke out at a chemical manufacturing unit in Ahmedabad’s Naroda GIDC industrial estate on Friday afternoon after a hydrogen storage tank exploded, leaving one person dead and more than 10 others injured. The incident prompted a large-scale emergency response by the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services.
According to fire officials, the incident was reported at around 12.18 pm at MSN Intermediates Pvt Ltd, located near Arbuda Kanta in Naroda GIDC. Preliminary investigations indicate that a hydrogen tank caught fire and exploded, triggering a blaze that spread to solvent materials stored within the factory premises.
The Fire Control Room received an emergency call at 12.18 pm, following which the first firefighting vehicle was dispatched within two minutes. Fire tenders reached the site shortly thereafter and began efforts to contain the flames and prevent the fire from spreading to nearby industrial units.
A total of 11 emergency vehicles were deployed for the operation, including one 10,000-litre water bowser, three 20,000-litre water bowsers, two ambulances and five first-response vehicles. The firefighting and rescue operation involved 41 personnel, including firefighters, station officers, divisional fire officers, drivers and other emergency staff.
Fire department officials confirmed that four injured persons were shifted to Civil Hospital through 108 emergency ambulance services, while others who sustained minor injuries were treated at the scene.
Initial reports from the area indicated that one person had lost his life in the incident. Authorities later confirmed the fatality, while efforts continued to assess the full extent of the damage and injuries caused by the explosion.
Senior fire officers remained at the site overseeing firefighting and cooling operations. Authorities are expected to conduct a detailed investigation to determine the exact cause of the explosion and whether all prescribed industrial safety norms and protocols were being followed at the facility.
Rescue, assessment and cooling operations were continuing at the time of filing this report, and further details are awaited.