Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced the establishment of a high-level committee to investigate the tragic incident at the Escientia Pharma Company in Atchutapuram. After inspecting the pharma site, where the accident occurred, he stressed the need for prioritizing safety in industrial operations.
He said that an internal inquiry would be initiated within the industry to address safety compliance. He made it clear that all industries classified in the red category must strictly follow safety protocols. The newly formed committee will be tasked with investigating the events leading to the accident and identifying any lapses. He said appropriate actions will be taken after receiving the committee’s report.
Chandrababu also said that the government aims to enhance safety standards and ensure that similar tragedies do not reoccur in the state and another committee will be constituted to conduct a safety audit across various industries.
“A vapour cloud explosion in the pharma company caused the fire accident. It is clear that proper SoPs were not followed. If they were followed then this problem wouldn’t have arisen,” he added.
Observing that security standards were also not properly followed, the Chief Minister said injured persons suffered various degrees of burns with one worker suffering up to 54 per cent burns. He warned that the state government will not compromise on safety aspects of the people and employees.
Naidu has directed all industrialists particularly those in the red category to take precautions and undertake immediate internal safety audits. Industrial sectors having pollution index scores of 60 and above come under the red category.
He deplored that despite the emphasis on safety, standard operating procedures (SOPs) were reportedly not adhered to during this incident. He noted that industries have failed to implement full safety standards, leading to a concerning trend in Visakhapatnam, where 120 fatalities were reported from 119 incidents over the last five years.
