A blast caused by a solvent leak at a chemicals factory in Andhra Pradesh killed 18 and injured 35 others on Wednesday, August 21. The incident took place at the factory of US-based Escientia Advanced Sciences Private Limited, a manufacturer of chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), located in Andhra Pradesh’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ) spread over Atchutapuram and Rambilli mandals of Anakapalle district.
Company officials allegedly did not inform the families of the victims about the blast, who say they heard of the incident only after seeing the media coverage of the issue. The officials allegedly have not visited the family members of the deceased yet.
“We didn’t understand what happened. All we knew was that a blast took place at Atchutapuram and so we rushed there," said Aruna Kumari, the wife of 33-year-old Ganesh Kumar who died in the accident. Ganesh, a resident of East Godavari district, was employed as a senior executive in the production department of Escientia.
For around seven hours, many like Aruna were kept in the dark regarding their relatives safety. “We tried calling the company management repeatedly, but there was no response from them,” Aruna said, speaking to TNM while waiting to receive her husband’s body at King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam.
The cause behind the blast was also not made clear until state Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha told the media on Thursday morning that it was a solvent leak that caused the blast. “Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) had leaked and the employees tried to stop the leak. But the gas had already spread from the third floor to the lower floors in the building and fell on to the electric panel due to which, a fire broke out,” she said.
Venkateshwar Appa Rao, a resident of Yelamanchalli in Anakapalle district, said he was waiting to receive the body of his cousin, 52-year-old Sanyasi Naidu Vegi, so that the family could conduct his last rites. “Sanyasi was a housekeeper in the company’s engineering department. Despite government intervention, company officials are yet to visit the families of deceased employees,” he said.
Narayana Rao Mahanti, who died in the accident, was an Assistant Manager for five years in the company’s Research and Development wing. His father said, “Not a single person from the company reached out to inform us about the mishap. We only found out through media reports and rushed here immediately, only to get the news of my son’s death. This is completely the company’s fault. We don't just want money from the government, but also strict action against Escentia.”
Vimala, mother of Prasanth Hamsa, another person killed in the blast, said, “He left home early that morning promising to be back for dinner. But he never returned. We only got to know about the accident at 8 pm, several hours after it took place.” Prasanth was a senior executive in the production department of the company for six years.
The Rambilli police in Anakapalle have registered an FIR against Escientia Private Limited. “Based on the preliminary report from the village revenue officer (VRO) and mandal revenue inspector (MRI) I filed the complaint. The investigation is still ongoing,” mandal executive magistrate P Bhagyavathi told TNM. The FIR has been registered under section 106(1) (causing death by negligence), and 125(b) and 125(a) (both dealing with acts endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Following the blast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those injured in the tragedy. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore, Rs 50 lakh, and Rs 25 lakh respectively, for the families of those who passed away, those grievously injured. and those with minor injuries.
CM Chandrababu Naidu has ordered an inquiry committee to investigate the lapses in the company. “Going forward, a team will be formed from all the departments like the Pollution Control Board, Legal Metrology Department, etc, and will run an audit and safety check in all the industries in the state,” he said.