One killed, three injured in blast at pharma company in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Nov 20 (IANS) A worker was killed and three others injured in a chemical reactor blast at a pharma company in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

The incident occurred at Aurore Pharmaceuticals Private Ltd at Jeedimetla industrial area in Medchal Malkajgiri district on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

The workers were cleaning the boiler when the explosion occurred, killing one worker on the spot. Three others sustained critical injuries and were shifted to a hospital.

The deceased was identified as Anil, 43, and the injured as Gopi, 23, Srinivas, 25, and Balram, 30, were injured.

Tension prevailed at the pharma unit as relatives of the deceased and injured employees staged a protest.

They alleged that the management failed to provide them with information about the accident. The protestors blamed the negligence of the management for the tragedy. They demanded a thorough probe and compensation.

Senior police officials rushed to the spot. An officer said they were investigating the cause of the blast.

The pharma unit had witnessed a similar incident last year. Two workers were killed in the accident that occurred on March 1, 2023. The workers were charred to death when a fire broke out in the chemical reactor when they were mixing flammable solvents to clean it.

It was suspected that the fire was triggered by static electricity discharge. Due to the reactive nature of the material, it caught fire and two workers died on the spot. It was alleged that adequate safety measures were not taken while using highly flammable solvents during the manufacturing process.

Both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have reported many reactor blasts at pharma units in recent times. At least 17 workers were killed and 20 others injured in a major fire that broke out after a reactor blast in Escientia Advanced Sciences Private Ltd in Atchutapuram in Anakapalli district of Andhra Pradesh in August this year.