VIJAYAWADA: The death toll in the explosion at the Porus Laboratories unit at Akkireddygudem on April 13 rose to seven after a 25-year-old worker from Bihar, Munawar Das, died while undergoing treatment on Tuesday evening. The health condition of 11 others, who also suffered severe burns, remained critical.
The management of Andhra Hospitals, where the burn victims were hospitalised, said two workers were not responding to the treatment. Nuzvid DSP B Srinivasulu said Munawar’s body would be handed over to his family after a post-mortem examination.
Meanwhile, the Eluru district administration promulgated prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 at Akkireddygudem to restrict people from gathering and staging protests in front of Porus Laboratories.The prohibitory orders will remain in place for a week until the officials submit a report on the fire accident.
Alleging that the management was operating the factory secretly at night, villagers in huge numbers reached the unit and protested on Monday. When the security staff prevented them from entering the plant, they allegedly attacked them, leaving a security guard injured. They even raised slogans during a public hearing conducted by Eluru joint collector Arun Kumar.
The Nuzvid DSP told TNIE that three teams of special party police were deployed in the village to prevent the locals from forcefully entering the factory premises.“There are harmful chemicals in the factory and pelting stones at the factory or attempting to open some chambers may result in unexpected events,” he added.
Eleven others still critical, two ‘not responding’
Eleven workers undergoing treatment for burns sustained in the April 13 blast are still critical. Two of them are not responding to treatment. Nuzvid DSP said the body of the deceased Das would be handed over to his kin after a post-mortem examination.