India
The explosion happened at the Special Economic Zone plant of the pharmaceutical company Escientia Company. For medical attention, the injured have been moved to the NTR Hospital.
Updated : Aug 21, 2024, 11:09 PM IST
In the Anakapalle district of Andhra Pradesh, a reactor exploded, leaving over eighteen people injured. The site of the explosion was the Special Economic Zone of Achutapuram.
The explosion happened at the Special Economic Zone plant of the pharmaceutical company Escientia Company. For medical attention, the injured have been moved to the NTR Hospital. As per recent reports, "Death toll reached 15 in the incident where a reactor explosion incident occurred at a company in Atchutapuram SEZ," says District SP Deepika Patil to ANI
Because the incident happened during lunch, a serious catastrophe was avoided. Images captured on site depict smoke rising from the reactor and engulfing the nearby villages. The Superintendant of Police and the District Collector are en route to the scene of the accident. Operations for relief and rescue are in progress.
The incident happened during lunchtime, which prevented a serious accident. As smoke from the explosion spread throughout the surrounding rural areas, the explosion caused widespread panic. The sudden noise and smoke startled the residents, many of whom expressed fear for their safety. Anakapalle District Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP) raced to the scene to supervise the emergency and organise rescue operations.
The death toll in the fire accident at a pharmaceutical unit here on Wednesday rose to seven. Anakapalli District Collector Vijaya Krishnan said the fire broke out at 2:15 pm at Escientia Advanced Sciences Pvt Ltd at Atchutapuram in Anakapalli district. “The factory operates with 381 employees in two shifts. The blast occurred during lunch time. Therefore, staff presence was less,” Krishnan told PTI, adding that the explosion is suspected to be electricity-related.
As many as 33 injured people were shifted to different hospitals in Anakapalli and Atchutapuram while the Fire department is engaged in rescue operations, deploying six fire tenders. Further, the collector 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. Escientia Advanced Sciences, which manufactures intermediate chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) commenced production in April 2019 with an investment of Rs 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.
(With inputs from agencies)
VIDEO | Visuals from outside a chemical factory in the Special Economic Zone in the Rambilli Mandal of Andhra Pradesh's Anakapalle, where a blast left several workers injured earlier today. pic.twitter.com/dQ6YpOTnuu
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 21, 2024
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