Aurore Pharma blast sparks debate over safety protocols in Telangana factories
Hyderabad: Without safety protocols in place in the pharma industries, aspirations for "pharma villages" or a "pharma city" remain unrealistic, warns Scientists for People and Human Rights Forum(HRF). The organizations demanded compensation for Aurore Pharmaceutical blast victims and public release of the preliminary investigation report.
Going into the case details, on November 20, a reactor explosion at Aurore Pharmaceutical Company in Suraram, Hyderabad, killed two workers and seriously injured two others. The incident reportedly occurred during reactor cleaning at around 10 am.
The victims were Anil Kumar (42), who died on the spot, and Balaram (51), who passed away three days later in the hospital. Gopichand (30), a chemist, and Srinivas Reddy (46) sustained injuries and are receiving medical treatment.
According to a fact-finding by Scientists for People and Human Rights Forum on November 23, the explosion occurred while workers were pouring a chemical into the reactor. Preliminary investigations suggest they were using buckets to add talc, but it remains unclear if other chemicals were involved or if a spark triggered the incident.
Advocacy groups demand accountability
“We found multiple safety violations at the factory. No immediate first aid was provided after the accident, and the nearest fire station, 500 meters away, wasn’t informed promptly. The room’s door, which should have been auto-locked to prevent fire spread, was blocked with papers,” said K. Babu Rao,Retired Scientist, Scientist for People.
“There seem to be no safety standards in the factory or management has followed them. When I spoke to other workers regarding this incident, I learned no safety standards were followed. When a factory fire occurs, the nearest fire station should be informed. The fire station located 500 meters away from this factory did not receive any information, as learned through media at 2 pm informed the concerned fire station officer,” explained Rao.
This is not the company's first incident. In March 2023, another reactor explosion killed two workers during cleaning. On November 28, 2024, a fire broke out in the company's Kazipally factory, added Rao.
“An inquiry and legal action should be taken against the factory causing such a series of accidents. In the last ten years, 92 people have died in Telangana factory accidents. When these incidents occur, the Inspector of Factories is supposed to conduct an inquiry and submit a report,” demands Rohit Secretary of HRF, Hyderabad. The preliminary report on the accident is yet to be released, with investigations ongoing by the Deputy Chief Inspector of Factories.
The organizations demand the factory management pay compensation of at least one crore rupees to the deceased workers. The Inspectors of Factories should post the preliminary report on the incident on social media. Action should be taken against the Aurore factory to prevent such incidents. The damage caused by the pharma industry should be identified and safety standards increased in all factories. Safety standard inspections should be carried out systematically.
