A powerful explosion triggered a fire in a pharmaceutical factory in south Indiaand killing at least 18 workers, police said Thursday.
The death toll rose from 15 when three of the 40 injured in Wednesday’s chemical reactor fire at the facility in Andhra Pradesh state died in hospital on Thursday, police officer M. Deepika said, adding that some of the injured were in critical condition.
AT LEAST 9 DEAD IN INDIA AFTER CHEMICAL FACTORY FIRE, AUTHORITIES SAY
The Press Trust of India news agency reported disturbing scenes of the skin of several workers peeling off. Ambulances took them to hospital.
Officials suspect the fire was caused by an electrical fault at the facility, according to media reports. State authorities have ordered an investigation.
The explosion occurred at Escientia Company in Anakapalle district. The facility is located approximately 350 kilometers (220 miles) northeast of Amaravati, the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
Relatives of victims killed in a fire sparked by an explosion at Escientia Advanced Sciences Private Ltd., a pharmaceutical company, sit outside the factory in Atchutapuram, Andhra Pradesh, India, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (AP Photo)
The 5-year-old company manufactures intermediate chemicals and actives pharmaceutical ingredients.
As news of the explosion spread, hundreds of people from workers’ families rushed to the factory to find out what happened to their loved ones.
Around 380 employees work two shifts at the factory. Many fled because they were on their lunch break when the explosion started the fire.
The facility is located in the state’s special economic zone in Atchutapuram village, which was established in 2009 with over 200 companies. Anakapalli is adjacent to the port city of Vishakhapatnam, a highly industrialized area with many mishaps, including dangerous chemical spills.
In the worst industrial accident in the region, 22 people were killed when an explosion occurred at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation’s refinery in Visakhapatnam in 1997.
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Fires are common in India, where builders and residents often ignore building codes and safety norms. Some do not even install fire extinguishing equipment.
In 2019, there was a fire caused by an electrical short circuit in one New Delhi factory Manufacturing handbags and other items killed 43 people.