An explosion at a pharmaceutical facility in Andhra Pradesh, southern India, on Wednesday led to the deaths of at least 18 workers; roughly 40 more people were injured. The incident at the Escientia Company, located approximately 350 kilometers northeast of Amaravati, also left several workers critically injured, with scenes reported as "the skin of several workers peeling off."
Officials suspect that an electrical fault ignited the explosion, which prompted state authorities to order an investigation. In the wake of the blast, hundreds of concerned family members arrived at the plant looking for news of their loved ones. Many workers survived as they were on a lunch break when the mishap occurred. The plant, part of Atchutapuram village's special economic zone established in 2009, employs around 380 people working in two shifts.
Andhra Pradesh has a history of industrial accidents, with similar hazardous occurrences reported in this heavily industrialized region. Notably, Visakhapatnam faced a catastrophe in 1997 when a blast at Hindustan Petroleum's refinery claimed 22 lives. Fires and industrial accidents in India are commonplace due to poor adherence to safety norms and firefighting measures. An electrical short circuit caused another major fire in a New Delhi factory in 2019, resulting in 43 fatalities. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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