Explosion at Indian pharma plant leaves 15 dead, 41 injured
At least 15 people died, and 41 were injured in an explosion that occurred on Wednesday, 21 August, at a pharmaceutical factory in the state of Andhra Pradesh, within the Achutapuram Special Economic Zone in southeastern India.
The incident occurred on Wednesday around 9:45 AM Greenwich Time at a factory owned by the private company Escientia Advanced Sciences. The plant was established in 2019.
– The incident happened not because of a reactor blast – said the district fire inspector. Preliminary findings indicate that the fire was related to the electrical installation. Six fire units were working on the scene.
A local police spokesperson stated that at least 17 people lost their lives, and 41 were injured. According to the services, this number may still increase.
Explosion at the pharmaceutical factory. All safety measures will be implemented
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will visit the incident site on Thursday. NDTV reported that he remains in constant contact with officials and police officers.
He has ordered an investigation to determine the tragedy's causes and identify who is responsible for it.
The factory employs 381 workers in shift mode. "The factory operates with 381 employees in two shifts. The blaze occured during lunch time. Therefore, staff presence was less," the company's management reported.
The factory authorities expressed their condolences and assured that an audit would be conducted and that safety standards and regulations would be strictly enforced.
Escientia Advanced Sciences is involved in producing drugs and chemical substances used in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
