Atchutapuram SEZ explosion: Death toll rises to 17, injuries to 33

Atchutapuram: A major fire and explosion ripped through a pharma unit here 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.

Anakapalli district collector Vijaya Krishnan said the fire was suspected to be electricity-related.

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

The company, which manufactures intermediate chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) commenced production in April 2019 with an investment of Rs 200 crore. It is located on a 40-acre campus in the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation's (APIIC) multi-product SEZ at the Atchutapuram cluster.

The collector told PTI that the factory operates with 381 employees in two shifts. "The fire occurred during lunchtime. Therefore, staff presence was less," she said.

As many as 33 injured people were shifted to different hospitals in Anakapalli and Atchutapuram. Further, 13 people trapped in the unit were rescued using ladder vehicles, Krishnan said.

Naidu directed officials to use air ambulance services, if needed, to shift the injured either to Visakhapatnam or Hyderabad for better medical care.

"The CM instructed officials to use air ambulance services to shift the injured persons if needed. He also directed the health secretary to immediately visit the accident spot," said an official statement.

The CM will visit the accident site on Thursday to meet the families of the deceased persons and those who were seriously injured.

Naidu spoke multiple times with the Anakapalli district collector and issued instructions to extend better services for the affected people.

Expressing grief over the loss of lives, he assured that the government would stand by the families of the workers who died.

Though it is being reported that the accident occurred due to a rector blast, the officials said that when solvent oil was being pumped from one floor to another it led to leakage and resulted in a blaze followed by a large explosion, said a post on X by the Office of the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Konidala Pawan Kalyan.

Kalyan condoled the loss of lives and directed authorities to conduct the safety audit and ensure that safety standards and regulations are implemented strictly.

Wailing relatives of the victims complained that authorities were not keeping them informed about the developments and also the whereabouts of their affected kin.