A tragic industrial accident claimed three lives on Sunday evening when a tanker exploded during asphalt unloading at a plant in Mokshi village, Savli taluka, Vadodara district, Gujarat.

According to officials from the Bhadarwa police station, the incident occurred while the tanker was being heated to remove stuck asphalt. During the process, gas pressure inside the tanker increased, resulting in a massive explosion.

The victims, who were standing close to the vehicle, were killed instantly. The deceased have been identified as:

• Armaan Ziaullah (26), resident of Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh
• Ashok Gurjar (21), from Alwar, Rajasthan
• Shakib Akhtar Khan (33), a resident of Vadodara

The bodies were shifted to a Vadodara hospital for post-mortem. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion to prevent similar incidents in the future.