Jodhpur: 14 injured in chemical explosion during firefighting; 8 suffer 50% burns

Jodhpur (Rajasthan) [India], September 24 (ANI): Fourteen people were injured after an explosion occurred while Municipal Corporation employees were working to extinguish a fire at a chemical factory in Jodhpur’s Basni Industrial Area, Police Commissioner Anshuman Bhomia said on Wednesday.
Bhomia said eight of the injured sustained severe burns covering more than 50 per cent of their bodies. The injured are being provided necessary medical facilities, with a separate ICU set up for them.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “Eight of them have sustained severe burns, covering more than 50% of their bodies. The doctors here are ensuring all necessary facilities are available; a separate ICU has been set up, and all possible requirements are being met, though eight individuals have sustained severe injuries..."
Bhomia said doctors were ensuring all necessary facilities for the injured and that all possible requirements were being met.
Jodhpur District Collector and District Magistrate Alok Ranjan said the Municipal Corporation teams had reached the chemical factory after being informed about the fire in the evening.
“While they were working to control the fire, an explosion occurred, and according to initial reports, Municipal Corporation employees were caught in the blast and the resulting fire,” Ranjan said.
He said the employees were initially taken to AIIMS for primary treatment and were subsequently brought to the hospital where they have been admitted.
Ranjan said employees of the Municipal Corporation’s fire team were involved, and their Chief Fire Officer was also present with them. Some of the patients require special care due to burn injuries, he added.
"They were initially taken to AIIMS, but we have now brought them here. In total, there are 13 or 14 employees. They belong to the Municipal Corporation's fire team; their Chief Fire Officer was with them. They received primary treatment at AIIMS and have now been admitted here. Some patients will require special care, and since this involves burn injuries, there is a specialised unit here,” Ranjan said.
“We are all present and making every effort regarding this situation; efforts to extinguish the fire are also underway,” he added. (ANI)