Death toll in explosion at Indian pharmaceutical factory rises to 17

HYDERABAD, Aug 22 (Reuters) – The southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh completed rescue operations on Thursday at a pharmaceutical factory where an explosion the previous day killed 17 people and injured nearly 40, a senior state official said.

Nearly 40 people were injured and rescue operations have been completed, official Industry Minister N. Yuvaraj told Reuters.

Escientia did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but government officials said they suspected an explosion at the chemical reactor.

Officials said they were reviewing surveillance camera footage and questioning the injured to determine whether human error was responsible for the explosion.

“Preliminary investigations have revealed that there was a steam leak which resulted in chemical reactions that caused the explosion,” added Yuvaraj, who identified the solvent involved as methyl tert-butyl ether.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the families of the dead.

India is considered the pharmacy of the world and is home to numerous factories producing medicines.

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