4 Injured in Another AP Pharma Blast

An explanation was that static electricity ignited the Losartan chemical during a mixing process. This caused a vapour flash. The four employees with severe burns were rushed to the Indus Hospital here.

The injured were Oybonkorha (22) from Jharkhand, K Surya Narayana (36) from Vizianagaram and Lalsingh Purthy (24), all the three suffering 90% burns and Roya Angiria (22) from Jharkhand with 65% burns.

This incident marks the second explosion in the region in two days, the first being the blast at Escientia Pharma on Wednesday, which caused 17 deaths and injuries to 36 persons. Both companies operate in an area classified as an orange-red zone, indicating a high risk that requires strict adherence to safety protocols.

Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu contacted district officials, including collector Vijayakrishnan and SP Deepika Patel, asking them to ensure full medical care to the victims.

Deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan expressed his sorrow over the fatal incidents in the pharma sector and called for enhanced vigil in handling hazardous chemicals.

Home minister Vangalapudi Anitha visited the hospital and expressed her regret over the incident that occurred during the mixing of chemicals.

Anitha promised support to the affected families and criticized the negligence of industry managements. She stressed on adherence to safety rules. She promised a review meeting on industrial safety and cited the establishment of a high-power panel to oversee safety audits in various industries.

Parliamentarian CM Ramesh, speaking to the media, explained that the chief chemist, who has been with the company for five years, was not clear about the cause of the blast.

Employees of the pharmaceutical company staged a protest on Friday, demanding better safety measures.