A devastating explosion at a pharmaceutical factory in Andhra Pradesh, India, claimed the lives of 17 people and left 34 others injured on Wednesday, according to local police reports.
The incident occurred at Escientia Advanced Sciences in the Anakapalli district.
District police superintendent M. Deepika stated that early investigations suggest the blast was triggered by a gas leak, which eventually reached an electrical panel, causing the catastrophic explosion.
Superintendent Deepika confirmed that the “rescue operations are over” and that everyone has been accounted for following the incident.
Another police official, M. Buchaiah, described the tragic scene to the Indian Express newspaper, emphasizing the severity of the situation.
“It was horrible, heartbreaking,” he said, recounting how the victims “were screaming before they lost consciousness” due to the horrific chemical burns inflicted by the blast.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow over the incident on the social media platform X, “Pained by the loss of lives due to a mishap at a factory in Anakapalli,” he wrote.
Offering his sympathies to the bereaved families, he announced a compensation of $2,380 for each family that lost a loved one in the tragedy.
In response to the incident, the state government has initiated a formal inquiry to determine the exact cause of the explosion and to prevent such occurrences in the future.
This tragic event is not the first of its kind in the region. Last year, a fire at a solvent reactor belonging to Sahithi Pharma, also located in Anakapalli, resulted in the deaths of two people and left five others injured.
