At least one person was killed, several others were injured after a major fire broke out following an explosion at a pharmaceutical unit at Parawada in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on Monday night, reported India Today.
The incident triggered panic among the residents in the Paravada area as it came just over a couple of months after the styrene vapour leak in the LG Polymers plant in the region. An explosion was first heard at Pharma City, following which there was a huge fire. The incident is said to have occurred in the Coastal Waste Management Project, a unit of Ramky Solvents, reported PTI.
At least 10 fire tenders were being pressed into service to put out the massive blaze and also prevent it from spreading to other pharma plants in the vicinity. The fire was doused completely after four hours of firefighting operations. The cause of the accident is currently being probed.
Meanwhile, Suresh Babu, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in-charge Visakhapatnam City, told news ANI that the fire broke out at 10:30 pm on Monday. "A fire occurred at the unit of a company named Ramky CETP solvents Pvt Ltd at about 10:30 pm. Three workers were working at that time. One person has been injured in the incident," he said. "At least 90 per cent of the fire has been doused. Fire fighting operations are underway. We will investigate the matter," he added.
On May 7 due to Styrene gas leak from LG Polymers plant near a village of RR Venkatapuram in Visakhapatnam over 11 people lost their lives and 600 others were hospitalised. On June 30 a leak of benzimidazole gas at a unit of Sainor Life Sciences Private Limited in the same Parawada area killed two employees and affected four others.
