Several people were wounded, while two received severe burn injuries, after a reactor exploded at a private pharmaceutical lab in Visakhapatnam on Friday. The smoke reportedly spread across several kilometers in the area. The reason for the blast remains unclear.
A thick cloud of smoke engulfed the area as fire fighters tried to control the blaze. The fire broke out in the lab in Atchutapuram Industrial Special Economic Zone, in the Anakapalli locality of Visakhapatnam.
Upon receiving information about the fire, police teams and fire tenders rushed to the site. The fire was caused due to a sudden reactor blast, according to the Superintendent of Police, Anakapalli Murali Krishna. Two people suffered severe injuries from the fire and were shifted to a hospital for treatment.
“A reactor explosion was reported in a private Pharma lab in Anakapalli. In the blast, two persons received severe burning injuries and were shifted to a hospital for treatment. A case will be registered and an investigation will be carried out on how the incident took place and whether there is any negligence from the management," Anakapalli SP Murali Krishna said.
He said that more than four fire tenders rushed to the spot to control the fire and conduct rescue operations alongside the police teams.
(With inputs from ANI)