Daijiworld Media Network - Tirupati
Tirupati, Oct 3: At least four workers were killed and 10 others injured after a boiler exploded at a pharmaceutical factory in Sri City's Tirupati district on Saturday morning, officials said.
The powerful explosion caused part of the factory building's roof to collapse, trapping several workers inside. Rescue teams later managed to evacuate those trapped.
The blast occurred as several night-shift workers were preparing to leave the facility. Firefighters, police and rescue personnel rushed to the spot following the explosion. The fire that broke out after the blast was subsequently brought under control, while the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Sri City, located along National Highway 16, is one of India's major multi-product Special Economic Zones and houses more than 250 companies, including several pharmaceutical units.
The incident is the latest in a series of industrial accidents reported in Andhra Pradesh.
In June, eight workers were killed after a ladle carrying molten steel broke and triggered a major fire at the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) plant, also known as the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
In February, 21 people were killed in an explosion at a firecracker factory in Vetlapalem village in Kakinada district. Six people were also killed in a blast at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Rayavaram in the Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema district in October last year.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the latest explosion.