Ahmedabad: Gujarat, being a highly industrialized state is prone to chemical and industrial hazards which is well supported by the fact that 35% of the total Major Accident Hazard (MAH) units of the country are located mostly at Vapi, Hazira, Ankleshwar, Dahej. A stretch of 400 kilometres from Ahmedabad to Vapi is known as the "Golden Corridor".
Almost the entire range of chemical process industry exists in Gujarat, including hydrocarbon processing/refining products, petrochemicals-polymers and man-made fibres, fertilizers, health care products, plant protection chemicals, dyes, pigments and intermediates, fine chemicals, surface coating products, salt and salt-based products, ceramics, glass, cement, vegetable oils, fats and detergents.
According to the office of the Director Industrial Safety and Health (DISH), under the Ministry of Labour and Employment of the state government, a total of 89 industrial accidents occurred between January and July 2020 across Gujarat, in which 130 workers died.51 accidents happened between April and July when the industries were reopening after the lockdown, in which 74 workers died till August 2020.
Fatal Industrial accidents at a glance
| Year | Fatal Industrial accidents |
| 2019 | 188 |
| 2018 | 236 |
| 2017 | 230 |
A brief on recent chemical factory explosions
03.06.2020: 10 people died when a massive fire broke out after an explosion in a chemical factory at the plant of Yashasvi Rasayan Pvt Ltd in the port of Dahej.
11.06.2020: One person has died and five others have been injured in a blast at a factory in Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC)’s chemical estate in Ankleshwar. The blast happened at the unit of Hemani Industries Ltd, a company headquartered in Bharuch that manufactures agricultural chemicals, insecticide sprayers and pesticides.
27.06.2020: Major fire breaks out at chemical factory in Kalamsar village of Khambhat Taluka in Anand. There were no casualties or injuries due to the fire as it took place at night. The cause of the fire is suspected to be short circuit and the estimated loss to the company due to the fire is over Rs 15 crore.
27.05.2019: A massive fire broke out at a chemical factory in an industrial estate in Sanad near Gujarat, but nobody was injured in the incident.
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