The Congress on Thursday condoled the loss of lives in the terrible fire tragedy in a pharmaceutical factory in Andhra Pradesh's Anakapalle district, and urged the government to take steps to avoid such incidents in the future.

A major fire and explosion ripped through a pharma unit in Anakapalle on Wednesday, leaving 17 people dead and 33 injured. The damage could have been worse but due to lunchtime fewer workers were in the plant when the accident occurred.

Harrowing scenes unfolded with injured workers -- their skin ripped and peeling off, bodies soaked in blood -- being shifted to hospital in ambulances after the incident occurred at 2:15 pm at Escientia Advanced Science Pvt Ltd.

"Deeply anguished by the terrible fire tragedy in a pharmaceutical factory in Anakapalle district of Andhra Pradesh where several people have lost their lives," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on X.

"Our heartfelt condolences to the grieving families. 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 said.

"We need to take more preventive measures to avoid such incidents in the future and ensure justice to the victims, therefore the government must act with alacrity on the high level probe," the Congress president said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident, promising stringent action against the management if its negligence was found to have caused the tragic incident.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.