Seven killed in reactor explosion at pharma unit in Andhra Pradesh

Visakhapatnam, Aug 21 : Fourteen workers were killed and 50 others injured in a reactor explosion in a pharmaceutical company in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalle district on Wednesday, officials said.  

The explosion occurred during the lunch break at Escientia at Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone near Visakhapatnam.

A huge fire broke out following the explosion in the company premises, officials said. There was panic among workers, who ran out for safety.

A dozen fire tenders rushed to the spot to douse the fire. Initially, there were reports of seven deaths. However, the toll later rose sharply as the bodies of at least seven workers were found under rubble. Nine of the deceased were identified as plant AGM V. Satyanarayana, lab head Rami Reddy, chemist Harika, Parthasarthi, Y. Chinna Rao, P. Rajasekhar, Mohan, Ganesh, H. Prashanth and M. Narayan Rao.

Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), fire services personnel, and police rescued the workers trapped on the third floor of the building. The injured were shifted to various hospitals in Anakapalle and Visakhapatnam.

Officials said the death toll may go up as the condition of some of the injured was critical.

About 387 employees were present in the company at the time of the explosion. Such was the impact of the explosion that the bodies of the victims were blown to pieces. The slab of the first floor of the building also collapsed, trapping many workers under the rubble. The entire area was filled with thick smoke, hampering rescue operations.

The explosion also sent panic among people in the nearby villages.

Employees gathered outside the company demanding compensation for the victims, and punishment for the officials for their negligence. Angry workers were seen trying to stop ambulances carrying the bodies. One of the workers alleged that adequate safety precautions were not taken which resulted in the disaster. He said they had long been demanding for conduct of a safety audit at SEZ and alleged that the fire services department, inspector of factories, and Pollution Control Board failed to conduct the audit.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has expressed shock over the reaction explosion. He spoke to Anakapalle District Collector and enquired about the incident. He directed officials to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured. He wanted officials to use air ambulances to shift the injured to Hyderabad.

The Chief Minister will visit Anakapalle on Thursday. He will call on the injured at hospitals.

Former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy also expressed his deep shock over the reactor explosion at Atchutapuram SEZ. He extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the incident. The YSRCP chief has urged the government to ensure that the injured receive the best possible medical treatment in hospitals. He also called upon the authorities to take immediate steps to prevent such incidents in the future and demanded that the state government provide adequate support to the families of the deceased.