KAKINADA: Two supervisors -- Kakarla Subrahmanyam (31) of Patavala Village in Tallarevu Mandal and Thotakura Venkata Ramana (37) of Mallavaram village of Tallarevu Mandal of East Godavari district -- died and four employees were wounded in an explosion in a pharmaceutical unit.
The incident occurred at Autonagar in Sarpavaram of Kakinada Rural Mandal on Thursday Afternoon.
The four injured -- operators Kudipudi Srinivas, Nammi Simhadri Rao and Regalla Rajkumar and Incharge deputy manager Kalaga Satya Saibaba -- were rushed to a private hospital.
According to sources, raw material for calcium and other medicines, made out of waste from prawn, are processed in the unit with nitrofurantoin, nitric acid etc.
SP Adnan Nayeem Asmi said that when the process of mixing of nitric acid with other chemicals was on, there was a rise in temperature. A supervisor was trying to adjust the valve. Suddenly, a blast occurred. “Two supervisors died and four employees were injured,” he said.
A circle inspector was deployed for the investigation and a case will be booked and action taken against the management.
Activists Kannababu and Muralidhar Reddy asked the management whether the chemical stocks at the unit posed any danger to the people of in the vicinity. The management said safety will be ensured. Kannababu said all help would be extended to the victims and the family members of the deceased. He appealed the people of Sarpavaram and Madhavapatnam villages to remain calm.
Muralidhar Reddy said an inquiry was ordered into the incident and action would be taken against the management. He said official teams have inspected hazardous industries in the district and suggested several safety steps.
Kannababu, Muralidhar Reddy and Asmi visited the private hospital and consoled the injured. Kakinada DSP V Bhima Rao, Sarpavaram incharge CI Ramakoteswara Rao and others visited the area.
The blast incident yet again brought to the fore the unsafe environment around industrial units handling hazardous material. A few months back, there was a gas leak and the people in the vicinity suffered breathing problems. The officials could not trace out the origin of the gas leak.
