On Thursday, the number of fatalities from the explosion at an Andhra Pradesh pharmaceutical plant jumped to 17, while 34 people were injured. Authorities believe that a chemical reactor is the cause of the explosion, which happened on Wednesday at the 40-acre Escientia Advanced Sciences plant in the Anakapalli district.
“Pained by the loss of lives due to a mishap at a factory in Anakapalli, Condolences to those who lost their near and dear ones,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X.
10 points regarding the Andhra Pradesh pharmaceutical plant explosion
- Ambulances carrying blood-soaked bodies and injured workers with severe burns were sent to hospitals following the incident at Escientia Advanced Science Pvt. Ltd. at 2:15 p.m.
- The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has directed a high-level investigation into the event and pledged tough measures against the management in the event that negligence is discovered to be the cause.
- According to M. Deepika, superintendent of district police, rescue operations have concluded, leaving a final death toll of 17 and 34 injuries. Investigators think that a gas leak that eventually reached an electrical panel is what caused the explosion.
- With an initial investment of ₹200 crore, the company started producing intermediate chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in April 2019.
- It is situated on a 40-acre campus in the multi-product SEZ at the Atchutapuram cluster owned by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC).
- The damage could have been worse, but fewer workers were in the plant at the time of the accident due to lunchtime.
- According to a post on X by Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Konidala Pawan Kalyan, the incident happened when solvent oil was being pumped between floors, causing a leak that led to a fire and a subsequent large explosion, despite reports indicating that the accident was caused by a reactor.
- The victims’ weeping relatives claimed that the authorities had not kept them updated on developments or the whereabouts of their impacted family members.
- Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the Congress, expressed his condolences for the lives lost in the tragic fire and urged the government to take action to stop similar incidents in the future.
- The company operates a commercial manufacturing site at Anakapalli and two research and development centers in Hyderabad and Connecticut (US).
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