Surat : Major Fire at Aether Industries Leaves 24 Workers with Severe Burns

Surat : A devastating fire engulfed Aether Industries Limited, a specialty chemical manufacturing company located in Sachin GIDC, causing grievous injuries to over two dozen workers in the early hours of the morning.

The incident, traced back to a chemical storage tank leak within the premises, resulted in severe burns for 24 employees, with four to five individuals in critical condition. The affected workers are currently receiving treatment across private and government hospitals, grappling with burns ranging from 60% to 70%.

According to sources, there was a massive explosion in the chemical storage tank, and the employees working in that area could have suffered severe injuries. The Surat police have not yet confirmed if anybody was killed in the fire.

The alarm was raised around 2 am on Wednesday when the Surat Municipal Corporation’s (SMC)  Fire and Emergency Department received a distress call from Aether Industries.

Basant Pareek, Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of SMC, reported the inferno’s origin in a chemical storage tank. Despite immediate response efforts, it took the fire brigade nearly five hours to bring the raging flames under control, with cooling operations continuing until 8 am.

Arjun Yadav, one of the survivors, recounted the harrowing experience, “I was working the night shift as usual when a deafening explosion occurred. We rushed to escape, but I heard a commotion near the chemical storage tank. When I glanced back, flames towered high. I managed to get out quickly, but the intensity of the fire was overwhelming.”

Eyewitness Shravan Mohula said, “We saw many workers working there at night. Our regular work was going on. Meanwhile there was a sudden blast and we started running. Many people were burnt due to the blast.. As many as three workers have been shifted to Apple hospital, while many other workers were rushed to the private hospitals in Sachin”.

Aether Industries Limited, owned by Ashwin Desai, specializes in manufacturing advanced intermediates and specialty chemicals like 4-(2-Methoxyethyl) Phenol (4MEP), 3-Methoxy-2-Methylbenzoyl Chloride (MMBC), Thiophene-2-Ethanol (T2E), Ortho Tolyl Benzo Nitrile (OTBN), N-Octyl-D-Glucamine, Delta-Valerolactone, and Bifenthrin Alcohol—the sole producer of these chemicals in India.

The company operates two manufacturing sites within Sachin GIDC. Manufacturing Facility 1 encompasses 3,500 square meters, housing research and development facilities, and a pilot plant. On the other hand, Manufacturing Facility 2, sprawling across approximately 10,500 square meters, operates with an annual capacity of 6,096 metric tons across three buildings and 16 production streams.

The incident has raised concerns about safety protocols within chemical manufacturing units and ignited discussions on enhanced safety measures and emergency preparedness in such industries.

“We are conducting a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire, aiming to prevent future mishaps and ensure the safety of industrial workers. Meanwhile, the injured employees are undergoing intensive treatment and care at private and government hospitals” said Pareek, CFO, SMC