RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: An explosion at a chemical factory at Gowripatnam in East Godavari district claimed lives of three workers on Tuesday.The deceased have been identified as Y Ratnababu, VV Satyanarayana and D Mahider. According to Kovvur DSP VSN Varma, the blast occurred at Vision Drugs factory in Devarapalli mandal at around 11.30 am.
“The blast happened in the production block in the factory when the three employees were trying to remove the ethonol, struck in the pipe, with an iron rod. A probe has been launched to enquire whether the explosion occurred due to leakage or labor work fault. The bodies of the deceased have been sent to Kovvur government hospital for postmortem,” said the DSP.
District Collector Dr Madhavilatha said that the state government has announced Rs 20 lakh ex gratia each to the next to kin of the deceased. An additional exgratia of Rs 2.50 lakh and job to any one of the family members of the deceased has been announced by the company. Home minister Taneti Vanitha visited the Kovvur government hospital and assured the kin of the deceased of all help from the government.