NEW DELHI, Aug 21: The death toll from a fire at a pharmaceutical company’s plant in Andhra Pradesh has risen to 19.
The fire broke out around 2:15pm on Wednesday at Escientia Advanced Sciences Pvt Ltd located in the Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone (SEZ), according to Anakapalli District Collector Vijaya Krishnan.
“Death toll as of now is 15 and my go up further. Nearly 40 people have been injured. Rescue operations underway,” District Superintendent of Police M. Deepika said.
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Initial reports had suggested a reactor explosion, but Krishnan clarified that the fire was not caused by a reactor blast. Officials now suspect the cause to be an electricity-related fire. The injured individuals were rushed to various hospitals in Anakapalli and Atchutapuram for treatment.
“The injured have been shifted to nearby hospitals … an inquiry has been initiated to identify the exact reason that led to the blast,” collector’s office said. The condition of the injured individuals has not yet been disclosed. The collector also said 13 people trapped in the unit were rescued.
Meanwhile, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed grief over the loss of seven lives. “The CM assured that the government will stand by the families of the workers who died,” said an official press release.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the explosion, and more details are awaited.
Escientia Advanced Sciences, which manufactures intermediate chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) commenced production in April 2019 with an investment of ₹200 crore. It is located in a 40-acre campus in the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation’s (APIIC) multi-product special economic zone (SEZ) at Atchutapuram cluster.
(Manas Dasgupta)
