Gujarat: 30 injured in blast at embroidery unit in Surat

At least 30 people were injured, ten of them seriously, in a powerful blast inside an embroidery unit in Pandesara area in Surat on Monday.

Fire brigade officials said the blast was caused either due to a leaking LPG gas cylinder or a transformer kept inside a godown of the embroidery unit at Umiya industrial society in Pandesara area, police said.

"We received a call about a short circuit and subsequent blast in that unit. Thirty people were injured. Majority of them received burn injuries, while some were hit by flying debris due to the blast. We are yet to asceretain what exactly caused the blast," said a fire brigade official.

After getting information about the blast, officials of Surat fire brigade along with municipal commissioner MK Das rushed to the spot. Those injured in the blast and subsequent fire included two women and 12 children.

"Majority of them are workers of that embroidery unit.The blast was so powerful that walls on both sides of godown collapsed. The bricks and stones hit some of the locals living near that unit," the official said.

All the injured were taken to Surat civil hospital for treatment. Officials claimed that among the injured, 10 are critical and admitted to burn ward of the hospital.