Two Workers Killed in Fire Accident at Pharma Unit in Anakapalle
Blaze at Dakshina Energy Company in Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City triggers emergency response; rescue operations launched
Visakhapatnam: Two workers died in a fire accident at Dakshin Energy of Shaw Ways Private Ltd, located at Parawada Industrial Park in Anakapalle district on Tuesday morning.
The deceased were operator Vepada Venkatesh, 34, and mechanical fitter Boddapu Trinadh, 24, who were on the night shift. Both are from Atchutapuram in the district.
Dakshin Energy is making pyrolysis oil from plastic materials that is used as a raw material in biodiesel production. As per the information, the industry employs seven to 10 workers and operates a reactor where plastic waste is processed to make pyrolysis.
The exact cause of the accident is yet to be determined and the officials of the factories department have launched a probe. It is suspected that over-pressurisation of the pyrolysis reactor and detachment of primary duct air ingressed in the reactor and caught fire due to the hydrocarbons present in the pyrolysis reactor.
The reactor caught fire with a huge sound and flames engulfed the workplace in which the operator and fitter were working.
Joint chief inspector of factories Shivashankar Reddy said the licence was obtained in September last year in the name of Shah Ways Pvt Ltd but the factory ran in the name of Dakshin Energy.
“The management did not take sufficient precaution to prevent the detachment of the pipe. This led to the explosion of the reactor. We will investigate further and file a case against the company,’’ the joint chief inspector said.
Fire tenders rushed to the spot and police and district officials also reached the site and initiated rescue and relief operations. The bodies were shifted to a hospital for post-mortem.
The accident at the pharma unit has devastated two families in Atchutapuram mandal. Vepada Venkatesh was sole breadwinner of the family. His untimely death has left his wife and three daughters with an uncertain future.
Bodepu Trinadh was also the bread winner of his family. His parents and family members were unable to reconcile to the fact that he's no more.
