3 Killed, 3 Injured in Chemical Warehouse Fire

A fire caused by a chemical leak at a godown (warehouse) in Gujarat's Navsari district in India on Saturday morning, killed three workers and injuring three more, reported the Deccan Chronicle.

The blaze broke out around 9 a.m. when workers were unloading chemical containers from a truck to be stored in a warehouse when a container fell on the ground, sparking a fire with an explosion. The chemical was said to be highly explosive and the fire spread immediately, engulfing three warehouses.

Mamlatdar Jagdish Chaudhary said chemicals leaked from one of the barrels in the truck, causing the fire. The truck first caught fire, and the flames spread in the godown, killing the three workers who suffered severe burns. Three other workers sustained severe burns and were sent to a hospital, while one is still missing, he said.

In addition to the warehouse where the chemical was being stored, the other two warehouses contained plastics and furniture.

Firefighting efforts lasted three hours.

The cooling operation was underway at the godown, the official added at the time of the report.