Two people were killed and several others injured after a reactor of a pharmaceutical unit exploded near Visakhapatnam on Monday morning.
The incident occurred at the Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City at Parawada.
According to reports, a cleaning operation was ongoing at Azico Biophore where a highly inflammable solvent was being used, to clean a new reactor.
The New Indian Express reported that the inflammable substance caught fire after being exposed to room temperature, and sparks fell into a sodium tank, which resulted in the blast.
The deceased were identified as Siva Kumar (24), and Nageswara Rao (30).
The two people were immediately rushed to a government hospital, but succumbed to their injuries.
In a statement, the company said that the fire was immediately put out, before it could cause any further damage. The company also said that an investigation was on, to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Other reports suggest that the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board had suspended the company's licence last year, for violating some norms, and just recently revoked the suspension.
This incident comes just over a month after five men died in the state's West Godavari district at a food processing plant in Mogalpur.
The five men allegedly choked to death when they went in to clean a chemical tank at the Anand Aqua Food company.
The five men, Eega Yedukondalu, Ram Babu, Nallam Yedukondalu, Thota Srinivasa Rao and Jakkamshetty Praveen were all aged between 21 and 25.