At least 17 dead in explosion at pharmaceutical factory in India | News

According to official reports in the state of Andhra Pradesh, many of the 40 injured suffered severe chemical burns.

At least 17 people were killed in an explosion at a pharmaceutical factory in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, a government official said.

Nearly 40 people were injured, state Industries Minister N. Yuvaraj told Reuters on Thursday, adding that the rescue operation had been completed.

Following the explosion on Wednesday, a fire broke out at the 16-hectare manufacturing facility of private company Escientia Advanced Sciences in Anakapalli district.

The incident occurred during lunchtime at the factory, which began operations in 2019, said district collector Vijaya Krishnan. The factory employs around 380 people in two shifts. Many workers escaped unhurt because they were on lunch break.

The company produces chemical intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients, local media reports said.

Minister Yuvaraj said initial investigations revealed that “there was a leak which led to chemical reactions which in turn caused the explosion.”

The state government has ordered an investigation into the incident. Officials said they would examine CCTV footage and question the injured to find out if human error was responsible for the explosion.

“The workers who died or were injured are doing the most important and dangerous jobs,” local politician L Srinivas Rao told The Indian Express newspaper.

An officer at the Atchutapuram police station in Anakapalli told the newspaper that the injured and dead had suffered severe chemical burns and their “skin had peeled off” as a result of the explosion.

“It was horrific and heartbreaking. They were screaming before losing consciousness,” said M. Buchaiah.

The plant is located in the state's Special Economic Zone in Atchutapuram village, which was established in 2009 with more than 200 companies.

NDTV reported that six fire engines were dispatched to the scene of the accident and that the National Disaster Response Force (NDF) also assisted in the rescue efforts.

Prime Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu expressed his grief over the killed workers. In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conveyed his condolences to the families of the dead.

Last year, a similar accident at another pharmaceutical factory in Anakapalli left two people dead and five others injured.