Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh): At least one worker was killed and another seriously injured after a major fire broke out following an explosion at a pharmaceutical unit near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on Monday night, officials said.
Three other workers, who were also at the unit when the mishap occurred, escaped to safety with little injuries, police sources said on Tuesday.
The seriously injured worker was admitted to a private hospital in the city for treatment.
He was said to have sustained 30 per cent burns in the fire, which broke out late on Monday night.
Senior chemist, Srinivasa Rao's body was found in a charred condition inside the unit where the incident occurred.
The incident triggered panic among the residents in the Paravada area as it came just over a couple of months after the styrene vapour leak in the LG Polymers plant in the region.
An explosion was first heard at Pharma City, following which there was a huge fire. The incident is said to have occurred in the Coastal Waste Management Project, a unit of Ramky Solvents, according to sources.
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police Suresh Babu, there was a flame in a reactor that caused the fire.
"Exact cause of the accident was yet to be established," he said.
After an overnight operation that lasted over four hours, State Disaster Response and Fire Services personnel finally doused the flames on Tuesday morning.
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State Industries Minister M Goutham Reddy spoke to Visakhapatnam district Collector and enquired about the incident. He directed the district administration to first evacuate workers who were on night shifts at other units.
Reddy asked the police, fire services and health officials to be on high alert and ensure that there was no loss of lives.
The state government has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
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The incident occurred two weeks after a gas leak from a pharmaceutical unit in Pharma City, which claimed the lives of two people and affected four others.
The incident occurred at Sainor Life Sciences Private Limited on June 29.
This was the second industrial disaster to strike the port city in less than two months.
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The gas leak incident came close on the heels of the May 7 disaster at LG Polymers plant at Venkatapuram. Styrene gas leak from the plan had claimed the lives of 15 people and affected over 500 in the surrounding villages.
(With inputs from agencies)
