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At least 15 employees have been killed in a fire at a pharmaceutical factory in southern India. Forty people were also injured, some critically, according to police. Press Trust of India news agency shares photos of employees with serious burns.
About 400 employees were working at the time of the explosion and the building caught fire. Many of them managed to escape or were already outside the factory because the fire broke out during their lunch break.
Local authorities believe there was an electrical fault in the building. The cause of the explosion and fire is under investigation.
Escientia's plant produces ingredients that contain chemicals used in making medicines. India is considered the “pharmacy of the world” and many pharmaceutical companies are located within its borders. More than 200 companies are based in Achutupuram, where the building is located. The industrial village is located in the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Things often go wrong in the area. The nearby coastal city of Vishakhapatnam, also an industrial hub, has seen deaths and injuries in the past from accidents involving hazardous materials. An explosion at an oil refinery in 1997 killed 22 people.
Factories in India are not always fire-safe, making fires more common across the country. Earlier this year, 11 people were killed at a chemical plant in the capital, New Delhi. The entire building collapsed, preventing people from reaching safety in time.
