Andhra Pradesh: Explosion in pharmaceutical factory kills at least 15 workers, injures 40

HYDERABAD, India (AP) — A large explosion sparked a fire at a pharmaceutical factory in southern India that killed at least 15 workers, police said Thursday.

Another 40 people were injured and hospitalized in the explosion and fire at the plant's chemical reactor in Andhra Pradesh state on Wednesday, police official M. Deepika said, adding that some of them were in critical condition.

The news agency Press Trust of India reported shocking scenes. Several workers' skin peeled off. Ambulances took them to hospital.

Authorities suspect that the cause is related to the electricity in the power plant. State authorities have ordered an investigation.

The explosion occurred at the Escientia Company in Anakapalle district. The plant is located about 350 kilometers northeast of Amaravati, the capital of Andhra Pradesh.

The five-year-old company produces chemical intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients.

As news of the explosion spread, hundreds of workers' families and relatives rushed to the plant to learn what had happened to their loved ones.

Around 380 employees work in two shifts at the plant. Many workers were able to escape because they were on their lunch break when the explosion caused the fire.

The plant is located in the state's special economic zone in the village of Atchutapuram, which was established in 2009 with over 200 companies. Anakapalli borders the port city of Vishakhapatnam, a highly industrialized region with many mishaps, including dangerous chemical leaks.

In the region's largest industrial accident, 22 people were killed in an explosion at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation refinery in Visakhapatnam in 1997.

Fires are not uncommon in India. Builders and residents often ignore building codes and safety standards. Some do not even install fire extinguishers.

In 2019 Fire due to electrical short circuit Forty-three people were killed in a factory in New Delhi that manufactured handbags and other items.