Hyderabad: Chemist injured in chemical reactor blast

Hyderabad: A chemist working in a pharma company at Sanathnagar sustained injuries in a chemical reactor explosion on Thursday evening. The incident occurred due to overheating of a chemical and water mixture as a part of regular chemical formulations. The injured has been identified as Varaprasad, 27, employee of Bio-Chemical Synthetics Private Limited located at Jimkalawadi under Sanath Nagar Police Station limits. SI J Venkat said that a case has been booked and the injured has been shifted to hospital. Biochemical & Synthetic Products Limited is a manufacturer, supplier and exporter of bulk drugs and intermediates. Around 150 workers work in the company. At 6.30 pm on Thursday, a loud blast rocked the unit and soon there was smoke all over. It was later found out that a chemical reactor inside the unit had exploded.

Sources from the company said that six workers were working at the reactor. As a regular process, they mixed acetone with water and were heating the mixture. Usually it has to be heated to a maximum of 75 degrees, but due to overheating, the mixture reacted, leading to the blast. All the workers were out on a tea break and escaped.