Thursday, 19 September 2024
Thursday, 19 September 2024
A devastating fire and explosion in a pharmaceutical factory in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalle district on Wednesday night killed 17 people and seriously injured 33.
As per State Home Minister V. Anitha, the explosion occurred when a few workers attempted to stop the leak of a flammable solvent MTBE [Methyl tert-butyl ether] at the factory.
Anakapalle District Collector Vijaya Krishnan informed that the incident took place at 2.15 pm, when employees’ presence was less due to lunch break.
People gather outside the reactor pharma unit of pharmaceutical company Escientia where a fire broke out following an explosion, in Anakapalle, Andhra Pradesh.
Workers with their skin ripped and peeling off and bodies soaked in blood - were shifted to hospital in ambulances.
Inspector of Atchutapuram police station, M Buchaia was at the spot when rescue operations started. Providing a startling narration, he told the media that the burns the victims suffered had “their skins peeling off.” He said, “It was horrible, heartbreaking. They were screaming before they lost consciousness.”
PM Modi condones loss of lives
PM Modi offered his condolences to victims of the fire tragedy on Thursday. “Pained by the loss of lives due to a mishap at a factory in Anakapalle, Condolences to those who lost their near and dear ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakhs from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000,” PMO mentioned in a post on X.
Congress slams Andhra government
Reacting to the tragic incident, Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge said that he was “Deeply anguished.” “The government must provide them with immediate and adequate compensation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and we wish them a speedy recovery,” he wrote on X.
Kharge ordered the Andhra Pradesh government to “act with alacrity on the high level probe.”
Chandrababu Naidu on compensation
CM of Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu visited the victims at Visakha Hospital on Thursday. “I gave courage to them and their family members. I have assured that the affected families will be taken care of,” Naidu wrote on X.
He promised a compensation of “RS 1 crore each” to the families which lost their members. Naidu also promised RS 50 lakhs to the families of “grievously injured,” and RS 25 lakhs to those who suffered minor injuries in the accident.
Naidu’s statement came after Kharge’s demand for “immediate and adequate compensation.”
Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan
In the wake of the explosion, the deputy CM’s office took to X and informed that Pawan Kalyan, Minister of Environment, Forests, Science and Technology of Andhra Pradesh, had already been looking into the probable cause of the accident.
“Although the Deputy Chief Minister expressed his readiness to personally visit the accident site and visit the injured, the plan was temporarily shelved due to the suggestion of the officials that it would hamper the relief efforts,” the official statement read.
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
Opposition leader Jagan Reddy from the YSRCP offered his “deepest condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families.” Before Naidu made his compensation plan public, Mohan Reddy wrote, “I demand compensation of Rs.1 crore to the families of those who died in this accident in the same way as the YSRCP government supported the victims of LG Polymers.”
Jagan also asked for a high-level enquiry into the incident.
