Visakhapatnam: A reactor explosion at a chemicals plant in the Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Anakapalli district caused a large fire and the death of a worker on Wednesday.
The deceased, 44-year-old Pradeep Raut from Odisha, was engaged in a cleaning procedure. Parwada police said they have started an investigation. It was suspected to be a reactor fluid leak.
Home minister Vangalapudi Anita expressed her condolences to the victim's family and asked the Anakapalli district collector to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Sundarapu Vijay Kumar, MLA from Elamanchili, announced an ex gratia payment of `35 lakh to the deceased's family. He urged the Vasantha Chemicals management to prioritise safety protocols and prevent similar situations in future.
The CPIM Anakapalli district committee sought a comprehensive investigation into the accident and punishment to the industrial establishment. It noted that the Pollution Control Board and the inspector of factories were failing to conduct regular safety checks.
Notably, the new district collector had held a meeting with industrial unit heads a few days ago, but there was “a lack of stringent safety enforcement within the pharmaceutical industry,” the party alleged.
