NHRC notice to Guj govt, police authorities over injury to 16 factory workers in fire

The NHRC on Tuesday said it has issued a notice to the Gujarat government and police authorities over reports about an explosion that caused a fire at a factory in Bharuch district, leaving at least 16 workers injured. The chemical factory is located in Gujarat's Jhagadia GIDC industrial estate. Reportedly, preliminary inquiry indicated ''technical or chemical factors'' behind the incident on April 23, it said in a statement. The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report about an explosion that caused a fire at a chemical factory, leaving at least 16 workers injured, it said. The commission has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raises serious issues of the victims' human rights violations. Therefore, it has issued notices to the chief secretary of Gujarat and the Bharuch superintendent of police, seeking a detailed report in two weeks, which is expected to include the status of health of the injured workers, investigation of the case and compensation, if any, paid to them, it said. According to the media report, carried on April 24, the incident has raised concerns regarding industrial safety in the area, as well as the need for strict compliance with safety protocols. The injured workers were admitted to nearby hospitals for treatment, the statement said.

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