Two workers were killed and five wounded in a reactor blast at the pharma unit of Sainor Life Sciences Pvt Ltd in the Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City on Monday afternoon. Of the five wounded, the condition of a worker is said to be critical. The wounded workers are undergoing treatment in different hospitals.

Sainor unit manufactures bulk drugs and intermediates. The accident occurred at approximately 12 noon when there was a huge blast in the reactor, according to the workers, and the factory was engulfed in smoke. The two workers - Srinivas (49) and Harish (27) - died on the spot and five were wounded. There was not much of a fire but there was thick cloud of smoke.

District collector N. Yuva Raj, who visited the spot and consoled the kith and kin of the dead workers, said an inquiry would be conducted into the incident and compensation would be paid to the families in accordance with the law. A committee would be constituted to conduct safety audit in the units of the pharma city.

B. Satyanarayana Murthy, the MLA of Parawada, said a thorough probe should be conducted into the accident and the management should go to the rescue of the families of the dead workers. The pharma units should take all safety measures.

G. Satyanarayana, the honorary president of the Pharma City Workers' Association, alleged that most of the units in the pharma city were not maintaining the safety standards and they had no concern for the lives of workers.

K.Lokanadham, the district secretary of the CPM, alleged that it was the sixth accident in the pharma city in the past two years and stringent action should be taken against the companies not following the safety standards and protocols. He demanded compensation of Rs 30 lakh apiece to the families of the dead workers.

sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

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