Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will visit the site of the tragic fire accident at Escientia Advanced Sciences Pvt. Ltd in Atchutapuram on Thursday. Wednesday’s incident has claimed 17 lives and left 33 persons injured. During his visit, Naidu will meet the injured workers who are undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Venkojipalem and interact with the medical teams treating them.
The Chief Minister is also likely to visit the accident site around 1:30 p.m. to assess the damage and get first-hand information of the circumstances that led to the tragedy. Anakapalli District Collector Vijaya Krishnan said that the death toll was still 17 as of now, and the exact cause of the explosion is yet to be known. Preliminary assessments indicate that the explosion could have been due to the leakage of solvent from a pipe, which fell onto an electric panel and hence fired up.
Also Read : Atchutapuram Incident: kills 17 persons, injures 33
Preliminary reports stated that the accident had occurred due to a reactor blast, but later it was declared by official sources that while transferring the solvent oil from one floor to another, leakage and ignition caused the dreadful blaze and explosion. The scene at the site has been distressing, with injured workers rushed to hospitals in ambulances and their families anxiously waiting for news about their loved ones.
The relatives of affected workers have been seeking accountability and clarity amid other complaints of inaction and non-communication over what has happened to their family members. The Escientia Advanced Sciences facility started its operations in April 2019 with an investment of Rs 200 crore at the multi-product SEZ of Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation in Atchutapuram.
