Explosion & fire at pharma unit in Barnala, no casualty

Bathinda: A fire broke out after an explosion in a unit of IOL Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd at Fatehgarh Channa village in Barnala district on Tuesday night. No loss of life was reported as three workers of the unit had already vacated the premises when they sensed trouble before the explosion.The incident took place nearly a year after a gas leak at the same factory had led to the death of an employee and hospitalisation of three others on April 27, 2025.According to an official of the pharmaceutical unit, the latest incident happened at Unit 9 of the pharmaceutical factory around 10pm. An official said the temperature of a large chemical storage tank started rising, leading to the explosion. But, before the explosion occurred, the workers had evacuated the factory.Fire-safety systems helped control the blaze after the explosion, reducing damage to the property.Barnala deputy commissioner Harpreet Singh and SSP Mohammad Sarfaraz Alam later reached the factory with officials from other departments. They inspected the affected unit and reviewed safety arrangements.SSP Alam said emergency teams had responded quickly on receiving information about the explosion. He said police were looking into the reasons for the fire. In the last incident, hydrogen sulfide (a flammable and highly toxic gas) had leaked in Unit 3 of the factory.