Vadodara: Six dead in blast at medical gas manufacturing plant, forensic team arrives

The company describes itself as a business entity since 1961, pioneered by the Late Asok Raojibhai Patel. It grew from a small air separation plant to several filling and distribution centres in the state of Gujarat.

The magnitude of the blast also caused cracks in the window panes of several homes in the village aro. Locals also said that the tremors caused vessels and kitchen items to fall. The metal roof of the plant was also flung in the air and shredded to pieces, police said.

The deceased have been identified as Ashok Himmat Padiyar, Gulab Singh, Mafat Parmar, Fateh Singh, Mangal Padiyar and Sanjay Ganpat.

The police have booked Siddharth Patel (Chairman), Shwetanshu Patel (Director), Satya Bal Nayar (Director), Akash Agarwal (Plant Manager) and Raju Rathwa (Operator and Supervisor) in the FIR under various IPC sections 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 114 (Abettor present when offence is committed).

Three deceased belong to the Lola village while one was a native of Muval and another of Gavasa in Padra taluka. The other deceased are yet to be identified. The police official also added that locals have alleged that the company had not provided the workers with any safety gear. Congress MLA Jaipal Thakor, who reached the spot has demanded immediate arrest of the owners and management of the company as well as compensation to the families of the dead.

ACP Sudhir Desai said that the police is conducting a thorough investigation and the owners could be booked for negligence. “The Padra and the Vadu police are investigating the case. The owners and those responsible for the safety of the plant will be questioned and the case will be booked as per the investigations,” Desai said.

The company describes itself as a business entity since 1961, pioneered by the Late Asok Raojibhai Patel. It grew from a small air separation plant to several filling and distribution centres in the state of Gujarat. The group went through a family restructuring in 2016 and now AOPL is spearheaded by Anish Patel; grandson of Asok Patel, with manufacturing plants in Ahmedabad, Halol, Surat and a distribution depot in Rajkot.