Gujarat: 5 killed in blast at ship breaking yard

Five people were killed after a suspected gas leakage triggered a blast at Alang ship breaking yard in Gujarat on Saturday, a day after a blast in a pipeline of GAIL claimed 16 lives in Andhra Pradesh.

Five people were killed after a suspected gas leakage triggered a blast at Alang ship breaking yard in Gujarat on Saturday.

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According to initial reports, around seven people were injured in the mishap that took place around 10:30am while a ship was being dismantled.

The incident sent a shock wave across the nation, coming just a day after a gas leakage and blast in a pipeline of state-owned GAIL claimed 16 lives in Andhra Pradesh.

Alang, which is in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district, is Asia's largest ship dismantling yard where approximately 250 ships are dismantled every year. The ship breaking process uses gas.

"Five persons were killed while seven others sustained injuries after a fire broke out following a blast in the ship which was being dismantled in plot number 140 at the yard," PTI quoted sub-inspector KJ Rathod, posted at Marine Police Station (Alang), as saying.

Prima facie, the blast occurred due to sudden gas leakage when ship-breaking activity was in progress, the officer said.

(with PTI inputs)