Three workers sustained injuries after a boiler unit exploded within the premises of a chemical factory in the Attibele Industrial Area on September 24. The incident comes after two fire incidents were reported in the last four days. According to a report in The Hindu, the blast occurred at Lake Chemicals Pvt Limited, a pharma-related plant, around 1.20 pm. The report stated that Gnanavelu (22) and Mune Gowda (30) were grievously injured while Suryanath (27) sustained minor injuries. The injured workers are being treated at a private hospital near the factory in Anekal taluk and are out of danger, the report said.
The Times of India quoted officials saying that the fire was triggered due to a technical snag with the boiler unit. PM Nagesh, District Fire Officer, told the Hindu that the vessel had chemicals like toluene, methanol, hydrochloric acid. He said that they could not ascertain the exact cause of the blast.
The Bengaluru rural police have registered a case against the factory owners and are investigating the case, mentioned a Hindustan Times report.
Residents in the area reportedly started a flash protest in front of the unit. Vinod, a resident who lives near the factory told Hindustan Times that this was not the first time such an incident occurred at the unit. The resident said that they had told the management of the chemical factory that residents were facing problems due to their output. The resident added that the area was covered with smoke after the blast which concerned them.
Boiler blast reported in a chemical factory near Attebele #Bengaluru. 7 people are seriously injured. Fire services rushed to the spot. pic.twitter.com/G8JHKT4LZz
— Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) September 24, 2021
A minor accident of similar nature has happened in the factory 14 years ago, reported The Hindu. The owners of the factory have been booked by the Attibele Police under Section 337 (causing hurt by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code; the report stated.
On Thursday, a blast was reported at a fireworks godown in KR Market which claimed the lives of two people and one was fatally injured; meanwhile, on September 21 a woman and her mother died in a fire accident that occurred in their apartment complex.