ALBAWABA - A senior state official told reporters that a blast jolted a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Andhra Pradesh state, India, killing at least 17 people and injuring 40+.
The blast on Wednesday happened at the 40-acre complex of privately held Escientia Advanced Sciences in the Anakapalli area, marking the state's deadliest event of this kind in recent years.
Nearly 40 individuals were hurt, and rescue efforts were concluded, Industries Secretary N. Yuvaraj told Reuters. Escientia did not immediately reply to a request from Reuters for comment, but government officials feared an explosion at the chemical reactor.
Officials said they were reviewing closed-circuit video footage and interrogating those injured to determine whether human error was to blame for the explosion.
"Preliminary investigation shows... there was some vapor leak that led to chemical reactions, which caused the explosion," Yuvaraj explained, identifying the solvent as methyl tert-butyl ether.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sympathies to the victims' families in a post on X. Last year, a fire in the same district at a Sahithi Pharma business killed two individuals and wounded five more.
