Atchutapuram (Andhra Pradesh): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday announced Rs 1 crore ex-gratia each for the victims' families, who were killed in a reactor blast at a pharma company in Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone near here.
At least 17 people were killed and over 33 injured after a huge fire broke out when a reactor exploded at Escientia Company on Wednesday at 2:15 pm. The company is located on a 40-acre campus in the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation's (APIIC) multi-product special economic zone (SEZ) at the Atchutapuram cluster.
Harrowing scenes unfolded at the SEZ where the fire ripped through the pharma company. Injured workers with torn clothes and bleeding injuries were seen being shifted to hospitals in ambulances.
Of the 17 deceased, two workers, identified as Harika and Mohana, died while being taken to the Anakapalli Hospital, whereas five of the injured are reported to have more than 60 per cent burns. Soon after the incident, eight engines of fire extinguishers were deployed at the spot to douse the flames.
Anakapalli district collector Vijaya Krishnan said the fire was suspected to be electricity-related. The company, which manufactures intermediate chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) commenced production in April 2019 with an investment of Rs 200 crore. The collector said that the factory operates with 381 employees in two shifts. "The fire occurred during lunchtime. Therefore, staff presence was less," she said.
As many as 33 injured people were shifted to different hospitals in Anakapalli and Atchutapuram. Further, 13 people trapped in the unit were rescued using ladder vehicles, Krishnan said.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu called on the injured at Medicover and KGH hospitals here and assured them that the government would bear the expenses of their treatment. The Chief Minister announced Rs 50 lakh compensation each for the critically injured and Rs 25 lakh each for those who sustained simple injuries. He promised the injured that if required, the government would get their plastic surgeries done.
On Wednesday evening, Naidu also expressed shock over the accident and spoke to the collector about the reactor explosion episode. "The CM instructed officials to use air ambulance services to shift the injured persons if needed. He also directed the health secretary to immediately visit the accident spot," said an official press release.
The state home minister, Vangalapudi Anitha, also reacted to the tragic incident and spoke to the Collector of Anakapalli over the phone. She further advised better treatment for the injured victims.
On June 30, 2023, at least six persons were killed in a fire accident at a pharmaceutical industry in Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalle district. The incident occurred at unit-1 of Sahithi Pharma Private Limited on June 30, when a chemical reactor exploded while workers were in the process of evacuating chemicals from it.
On July 17 this year, a contract worker died in an explosion that occurred in a reactor at Vasant Chemicals in Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Anakapalli district. The deceased has been identified as Pradeep Rout (44) hailing from Odisha.
On April 6 this year, two persons were killed and six others sustained serious injuries in two separate industrial accidents at Visakha Pharmacity Limited (VPL), located at Parawada in Anakapalle district. In the first incident at Apitoria Pharma Private Limited, 30-year-old Alla Govind (Technician) died and Boddu Narendra (Assistant Maintenance) suffered injuries in an explosion while they were conducting leak testing by applying Nitrogen.
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