In the Pharma City district of the southern Indian port city of Vishakhapatnam, the waste management unit of a pharmaceutical company burst into flames, injuring four workers. The workers, who suffered burn injuries, are being treated at a local private hospital.
The explosion in the Visakha Solvents’ plant near Vishakhapatnam’s port is said to have occurred in the Ramky Solvents unit, and as of now, the exact cause of the incident remains unclear.
Videos shared by the residents of the city’s Paravada area have gone viral on social media, leaving netizens “shocked and saddened”. #VizagBlast is trending on the top spot on Twitter in India.
Around six fire trucks were deployed in the region in the early hours of Tuesday. Since May, there have been more than 30 industrial accidents in various parts of the country, killing at least 75 workers and injuring over a hundred.
A recent report, IndustriALL Global Union claimed that there has been an industrial accident at least once every two days, killing and maiming workers after India announced it was unlocking industrial activities. On 7 May, the toxic gas leak at the LG Polymers plant in Andhra Pradesh killed at least 12 while injuring hundreds more.
The boiler explosion at Yashashvi Raasayan Private Limited at Dahej, Gujarat killed at least eight people and injured about 40. Boiler explosions at Neyveli Lignite Corporation’s thermal power plant in Tamil Nadu on 7 May, and again on 1 July, killed at least 20 workers.