A fire broke out in a pharma company in Anakapalle district in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday (August 21). 17 people died in the accident, while 36 people were badly burnt. All have been admitted to NTR Hospital in the district. According to the information received, the incident took place at the plant of pharma company Ascientia located in Achyutapuram SEZ.
Blast occurred in 500 kilolitre capacitor reactor
People present on the spot said that first a fire was seen near the company's reactor, then there was a huge explosion. Due to this, the slab of the first floor of the building collapsed. Officials said that solvent oil was being pumped from the first floor to the second floor, when leakage occurred and fire broke out. This caused a blast in the 500 kiloliter capacitor reactor.
CM Chandrababu Naidu will visit the incident site today
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu will visit the incident site today. He has also ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident and said that if negligence on the part of the factory management comes to light, strict action will be taken. President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed grief over the incident. Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50 thousand to the injured.
Factory started in April 2019
Ascientia Advanced Sciences, a manufacturer of intermediate chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), started this factory with an investment of Rs 200 crore. Its production started in April 2019.