VISHAKHAPATNAM: As many as 13 people were killed and 33 were injured after a major fire broke out at the Escientia Advanced Sciences Pvt Ltd factory in Atchutapuram SEZ, Rambilli Mandal, Anakapalle district, on Wednesday afternoon. The damage could have been worse but for the lunch break that saw fewer workers in the plant when the blaze erupted.
According to initial reports, the fire was triggered by a reactor blast at the factory. The severely injured were immediately shifted to nearby hospitals in Anakapalli and Atchutapuram for treatment.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to use air ambulance services, if needed, to shift the injured persons for better treatment from the accident spot.
The CM, who is scheduled to visit the multi-product special economic zone (SEZ) where the accident occurred, observed that air ambulance services could be used to shift patients either to Visakhapatnam or Hyderabad for better medical care.
"The CM instructed officials to use air ambulance services to shift the injured persons, if needed. He also directed the health secretary to immediately visit the accident spot," said an official press release.
The CM will visit the accident site on Thursday to call on the families of the deceased persons and also meet those who were seriously injured.
Further, he ordered a high level enquiry into the incident, promising stringent action against the management if its negligence was found to have caused the tragic incident.
Addressing the media, Minister for Labour, Factories, Boilers and Insurance Medical Services, Vasamsetty Subhash, said, "The district collector and other officials are on-site, ensuring that the injured are being shifted to hospitals and that rescue operations are carried out effectively. Due to the thick smoke at the factory, the exact number of casualties is yet to be confirmed apart from the three fatalities identified so far. We are also working to determine the total number of staff who were present at the site during the accident."
An investigation is underway to ascertain whether the accident was caused by negligence on the part of the factory authorities or by a lack of adequate fire safety measures.
In response to the incident, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha called the Anakapalle District Collector and asked the officials to ensure that the injured receive proper medical attention and that all necessary measures are taken to manage the situation.
(With inputs from PTI)