Gujarat: 12 workers dead in building collapse caused by unidentified 'chemical blast'

Twelve workers including five women were killed in "a chemical blast" that occurred inside a textile factory in the outskirts of Ahmedabad on Wednesday and it left ten others seriously injured, five of them are said to be critical. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah condoled the incident.

According to officials of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the incident occured at a godown located at Pirana-Piplaj road, at around 11:40 am. The death toll rose to 12 by late in the evening. Police said that at least five of the dead bodies have not been identified as yet.

AMC officials said that "an unidentified chemical blast" occurred at Sahil Enterprises due to which the whole factory and its adjacent Kanika Saree's building collapsed. The workers were trapped in the rubble. They said that fire and emergency response team's 22 vehicles and 80 workers and officials were involved in rescue work.

Meanwhile, the state government announced a probe into the incident by Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Vipul Mitra and Chairman of Gujarat Pollution Control Board Sanjiv Kumar. The government also announced Rs 4 lakh compensation to the families of the deceased.

The Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch has been roped in to probe any criminal negligence into the incident. Sources in police said that "Prime facie, it seems that the factory was being run illegally as it had not taken several permissions required for such work."

Prime Minister Narenra Modi condoled the death of the incident on microblogging website Twitter where he wrote, "Anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire in a godown in Ahmedabad. Condolences to the bereaved families. Prayers with the injured. Authorities are providing all possible assistance to the affected."