About 15 people have been killed in an explosion that occurred on Wednesday at a pharmaceuticals manufacturing plant in southern India’s Andhra Pradesh state, leaving 40 others injured according to a report by a district government official.
The report by a district collector, district collector Vijaya Krishnan further revealed how the fire had broken out in the afternoon at a privately owned Escientia Advanced Sciences’ 40-acre manufacturing unit that had been in operation since 2019 in the state’s Anakapalli district.
The Escientia owners have yet to immediately respond to a request for comment at the time of filing this report but the state government has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
In 2023, two people were killed leaving five others injured in a similar fire accident that broke out in a solvent reactor at a unit of Sahithi Pharma in the Anakapalli district.
What They’re Saying
District Superintendent of Police M. Deepika had told newsmen at Reuters;
“Death toll as of now is 15 and is likely to go up. Nearly 40 people have been injured. Rescue operations under way,”
Meanwhile, Krishnan’s office had added that the blast had occurred during lunch time at the unit.
“The injured have been shifted to nearby hospitals…it appears that there could have been a blast at the chemical reactor.”
