Seven killed, 33 injured after massive fire breaks out at Andhra Pradesh pharma company

The rescue operations were being conducted at the spot. Pic/PTI

Seven workers of a pharma company in Andhra Pradesh were killed and 33 people were injured after a massive fire broke out at the unit on Wednesday, the officials said, reported the PTI.

Anakapalli District Collector Vijaya Krishnan said the accident occurred around 2:15 pm at the 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, according to the PTI.

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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.

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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.

Five injured in explosion due to gas leak

Meanwhile, in an another incident, as many as five persons were injured in an explosion caused by leak of cooking gas from a cylinder in Pimpri Chinchwad area near Pune city early on Wednesday, officials said, reported the PTI.

The incident occurred around 5.30 am in a room in Bauddh Nagar at Pimpri, where the victims reside, a fire brigade official said.

"The explosion took place after one of the residents switched on the gas stove," he said.

The fire brigade officials suspect that gas might have leaked overnight and when the gas stove was turned on, it triggered the explosion.

All five injured individuals were taken to the hospital, where they are currently receiving treatment.

(with PTI inputs)