Two workers were killed and one person suffered severe injuries after a boiler blast at a pharma unit in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district on Sunday morning. The incident took place at the unit of Aurobindo Pharma, located in Pydibhimavaram in the district's Ranastalam mandal.
The police said that ash powder had blocked the boiler, and three workers had been sent to check on the problem when they faced a sudden burst of heat. While two workers — Rahul Reddy and Rajasekhar — died on the spot, the third person jumped out of the window, suffering injuries.
A case was registered with the JR Puram police and mild tension prevailed on Sunday as workers' union leaders staged a protest, demanding compensation for the kin of the deceased and that the company pay for the treatment of the injured person.
Roads and Building Minister Dharmana Krishna Das, who was in Srikakulam district for other work, also took note of the incident and said that compensation must be given to those who had lost their lives in the incident. Meanwhile, a representative of the management reportedly said that the company had agreed to pay Rs 30 lakh as compensation to the kin of the deceased.
A similar incident had taken place at the same factory in December 2016, when two people died and one was seriously injured after a fire broke out at the company's facility. The company informed of the incident in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
In December last year, workers under the aegis of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) staged a blindfold protest at the factory and claimed that the management was violating labour laws and failed to address their grievances despite repeated representations that were made to the company.