Chemical Plant Disaster in India: Gujarat Gas Leak Hospitalizes 45, Three Critical, Investigation Launched

Bharuch, India— A gas leak at an industrial chemical plant in Gujarat hospitalized 45 workers on October 20, with three in critical condition after toxic fumes spread across the factory floor.

The leak occurred at around 9:30 a.m. in the Jhagadia industrial estate, one of Gujarat's largest chemical hubs. Workers were on the morning shift mixing solvents when a valve on a storage tank failed. A pungent gas escaped. Alarms sounded. Workers tried to run. Many collapsed within meters.

The gas was identified as chlorine mixed with other chemical vapors, according to initial reports from the district administration. Chlorine causes severe irritation to eyes and lungs. Doctors at Bharuch Civil Hospital said most patients came in coughing, vomiting, and unable to breathe. "They were gasping," said a casualty medical officer. "We had to put several on oxygen immediately."

Forty-five workers were admitted. Three were shifted to ICU and intubated. They remain critical. Others are stable but under observation. The district collector ordered the plant sealed and the area within 500 meters evacuated. Families gathered outside the hospital gate, waiting for news. Some workers had burns on their faces.

The plant, which manufactures agrochemical intermediates, has had two prior safety notices in the past year, officials said. A factory inspector who visited the site Tuesday said safety valves had not been serviced on schedule. The management claimed the leak was caused by a sudden pressure surge. "We followed all protocols," a company spokesperson said. Workers said they had complained about the smell for days.

Gujarat is India's chemical manufacturing heartland. Thousands of factories operate in clusters around Bharuch, Ankleshwar, and Vapi. Safety enforcement is thin. The state's factory inspectorate is understaffed. Activists said workers are rarely given proper masks or training. A labor union leader said, "These are contract workers. They are expendable. No one trains them for leaks."

The Gujarat Pollution Control Board and the Directorate of Industrial Safety have launched a joint inquiry. Samples of air and residue have been taken. The National Disaster Response Force team decontaminated the tank. The district administration said compensation will be decided after the report.

Tonight the factory is silent. Its gates are locked. Police stand guard. The 45 hospitalized workers remain in wards, some still on oxygen. The three critical patients have not shown improvement.