A catastrophic reactor explosion on Wednesday at a pharmaceutical company in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Atchutapuram, Andhra Pradesh, claimed the lives of at least 14 people, with several others suffering burn injuries. The blast occurred when a 500-kilolitre capacitor reactor exploded while approximately 200 workers were still present.
Anakapalli District Collector Vijaya Krishnan confirmed the fatalities and indicated that the number of casualties could increase. Rescue operations are ongoing, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) actively involved in the efforts, according to Anakapalli SP M Deepika.
In response to the tragedy, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has called for a high-level investigation and is expected to visit the families of the victims and the injured on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow over the incident and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh to the families of each deceased victim, with Rs 50,000 allocated for the injured. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) conveyed these details through a statement, extending condolences and wishing a swift recovery for the injured. President Droupadi Murmu also expressed her condolences over the tragic loss of life.
(With ANI inputs)