Andhra chemical factory sealed, management booked after six killed in blaze

After six workers were charred to death and 11 others grievously injured when a reactor in a chemical factory exploded in the newly formed Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh, police have booked the management of the factory for culpable homicide not amounting to murder among other charges. The incident occurred at a unit of Porus Laboratories at Akkireddigudem village on the night of Wednesday, April 13. Eluru district Collector V Prasanna Venkatesh, who visited the accident spot, ordered an immediate shutdown of the Porus Laboratories unit pending a detailed investigation.

According to Eluru Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahul Dev Sharma, a case has been registered against the management of the pharmaceutical manufacturing company at the Musunuru police station under sections 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304(ii) (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). 

According to the SP, on the night of April 13, around 18 workers were on night shift duty in unit-4 of the factory. At around 10.30 pm, a stainless steel reactor exploded due to overheating and leaked Monomethylamine gas (m-MA gas) from the reactor, causing the fire, he said. As the fire spread through the block, at least five workers were killed on the spot. The injured workers were first taken to the Government Area Hospital in Nuzvid and then shifted to the Government General Hospital, Vijayawada, where another worker succumbed to injuries. 

The deceased workers were identified as Udurupathi Krishnaiah (34) and Boppidi Kiran (35), natives of Andhra Pradesh, and Kaaru Ravi Das (40), Manoj Mochi (25), Subhash Ravi Das (32), Habdas Ravi Das (27), all natives of Bihar. The injured workers are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Vijayawada. 

Hyderabad-based Porus Laboratories, which is into the manufacturing of pharmaceutical intermediates and speciality chemicals, has five units in different locations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. More than 50 workers were at work on the night shift on Wednesday when the mishap occurred in unit-4. State Disaster Response and Fire Services personnel, as well as NDRF personnel, carried out the rescue and relief operations. The fire was doused in a couple of hours. 

Eluru district Collector has initiated an enquiry and said that action will be taken against the authorities concerned. He announced that the company will remain closed till the inquiry is completed. "We are investigating what led to the accident. Whether high pressure caused the reactor to blow up, or whether hazardous chemicals were being used, we will probe all such aspects. We are also investigating if any rules were violated in the operation of the plant," Eluru district Collector V Prasanna Venkatesh told reporters. Meanwhile, the police registered a case against the factory management on Thursday morning, based on a complaint from Chandholu Rajeev (38), whose right shoulder was fractured in the accident. 

Residents of Akkireddigudem staged a protest outside the plant, demanding that it be relocated from the village forthwith. The villagers alleged that the plant caused water and air pollution, making their life miserable. "Even crops are not growing properly because of the pollution and we have been demanding for long that the plant be shifted from here," the protesting villagers said, according to PTI.

State Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma spoke to the Eluru district collector over the phone from New Delhi and enquired about the incident. The Chief Secretary directed the Collector to conduct a thorough inquiry into the mishap and submit a report. 

Nuzvid MLA Meka Pratap Appa Rao, who visited the Porus unit, said it was an accident. While the state government announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, the factory management too would pay an equal amount, the MLA said. The state government also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the seriously injured and Rs 2 lakh each to the injured persons.

With PTI inputs