Story perspectives

Explosion at Gujarat’s Kovika Dyes kills four migrant workers

By Drooid · Oct 16, 2026, 4:24 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Gujarat police reported four migrant workers died in an explosion at the Kovika Dyes plant in Chhatral.
The blast occurred between 12:30 pm and 1:00 pm Thursday in Kalol taluka, Gandhinagar district.
Police said workers were fitting a pipe to a hot pressure vessel when it exploded, suggesting excessive pressure buildup.
Victims were Vinodkumar Singh (42), Teda Dehari (18), Sikandar Lakhan Dehari (40) from Jharkhand and Laxman Meena of Udaipur.

History

Historical Context

On 3 December 1984, a methyl isocyanate leak at Union Carbide India Limited’s Bhopal plant exposed over 500,000 people and caused 2,259 immediate deaths, prompting the Indian government to secure a $470 million settlement in 1989. The tragedy led to the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster Act and tighter safety rules, which regulators reference after today’s fatal blast at Gujarat’s Kovika Dyes plant.

1 of 2

Story summary

Gujarat police reported four migrant workers died in an explosion at the Kovika Dyes plant in Chhatral.
The blast occurred between 12:30 pm and 1:00 pm Thursday in Kalol taluka, Gandhinagar district.
Police said workers were fitting a pipe to a hot pressure vessel when it exploded, suggesting excessive pressure buildup.
Victims were Vinodkumar Singh (42), Teda Dehari (18), Sikandar Lakhan Dehari (40) from Jharkhand and Laxman Meena of Udaipur.

1 / 2