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Disaster occurred due to a reactor blast caused by a fire in a leaked solvent in a Pharmaceutical company.
- India's vulnerability to chemical disasters is highlighted by presence of approximately 1,861 Major Accident Hazard (MAH) units and thousands of other registered hazardous factories (below MAH criteria).
- MAH is a source of danger that has potential to cause a major incident.
Other examples of Chemical Disasters in India
- Ammonia Gas Leak at Chennai (2024): Due to damaged gas pipeline caused by cyclone Michaung.
- Vizag Gas Leak (2020): Styrene gas leak at LG Polymers in Visakhapatnam.
- Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984): Due to leak of methyl isocyanate gas from Union Carbide plant.
Initiatives taken for Chemical accidents
Indian
- NDMA guidelines to provide directions to ministries and state authorities for preparation of their detailed disaster management plans.
- Explosives Act 1884 sets safety standards for handling, transportation, and storage of explosives to prevent accidents.
- Other steps: Public Liability Insurance Act 1991, Factories Act, 1948 & Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019
Global
- Flexible framework for addressing Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness by UNEP.
- ILO code of practice on Prevention of major industrial accidents, 1991.
- ILO’s Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Convention, 1993 (No. 174).
