Srinivasa Rao Korada, CFO of the Escientia Group, stated that workers had identified the leak and were in the process of addressing it, nearly sealing it off when the explosion occurred.
Workers at a pharmaceutical factory in southern India were attempting to contain a chemical leak when an explosion occurred, resulting in the deaths of at least 17 people and injuring 36, according to the company’s chief financial officer on Thursday.
The blast took place around noon on Wednesday at Escientia Advanced Sciences, a privately-held company in Andhra Pradesh. The factory, which employs nearly 400 workers, produces intermediate chemicals and active ingredients for export to the United States and other Western countries.
Srinivasa Rao Korada, the company’s CFO, mentioned that the explosion appeared to have been caused by a solvent leak. “Workers had noticed the leak and were in the process of fixing it when the explosion happened,” Korada told Reuters over the phone. The exact cause of the leak remains unknown.
This incident marks one of the worst industrial accidents in India in recent years. India, often referred to as the “pharmacy of the world,” has seen other similar incidents; just a year ago, a fire at another pharmaceutical factory in the same Anakapalli district claimed two lives and injured five others.
The company is currently working with authorities to determine the cause of the leak, Korada added, noting that smoke and fire initially hampered the investigation.
Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage and questioning the injured workers to ascertain whether human error played a role. State Industries Secretary N. Yuvaraj stated that preliminary investigations suggest a vapor leak led to a chemical reaction, causing the explosion. He identified the solvent involved as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), a flammable liquid used as an additive in unleaded gasoline to improve combustion efficiency, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The state’s chief minister, Chandrababu Naidu, an ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s federal government, announced that an inquiry will be conducted into the accident. He expressed hope that this would be the last such incident.
The factory, which began operations in 2019, was established with an investment of 2 billion rupees ($24 million), according to Vijaya Krishnan, the district’s top revenue official.
