Anakapalle Pharma Blast: Death Toll Rises to 18; CM Chandrababu Visits Achyutapuram to Address the Cause of the Tragedy
The dreadful blast that had occurred at the Essentia Advanced Sciences Pharma Company in Achyutapuram SEZ has made a dark life shadow for these workers. This sad event happened on Wednesday afternoon and, to date, 18 people have lost their lives, over 60 others are in critical condition. The explosion which has elicited a lot of concern in the community and question marks on the safety measures used in industries today has and become one of the devastating event in the recent past.
The Explosion: A Sequence of Catastrophic Events
One of the cases which describe the tragedy in details occurred at the Essentia Pharma which is located at Achyutapuram that experienced a disastrous chain of events as the result of the solvent leakage. There were reports that the solvent came into contact with an electrical panel and through a chain of some chemical activity, it caused an explosion. Some early findings indicate that the leak was associated with Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) – a highly flammable substance which occurred in the reactor during mixing. This was because of piped rupture that allowed steam to escape; thereby creating uncontrolled chemical reaction.
In a few moments there was a deafening noise, the reactor which could contain 500 kiloliters of Outlet No. 2 gas blew up. This blast was very strong and, as a result, there was a fire that soon began to spread through the building. The fire reached the air conditioning units and the heat caused the fire to rise and start spreading at a fast rate. The force of the explosion was such that it brought down the ceiling and walls of the block thereby entombing several workers.
Heartbreaking Scenes at the Site
The latter confirmed that the consequences of the blast created a terrifying sight. Employees were literally tossed with force off of the blast area; they were hurled with an impact range of between 30 and 50 meters. What had happened and the number of worker’s harmed was horrific and devastating. One of the most painful visions was a raped body of a female worker who was thrown by the blast to a tree. Her dead body was discovered hanging from a branch of a tree, with her intestines exposed, as a testimony of the effect of the blast.
Hundreds of other workers were buried under the roof and other rubble, and some burnt either by the explosion or fire that followed. Others were so affected by fire or dismembered that it was impossible to identify them. Another important aspect was the state of the site: it was seriously destroyed and the evidence of the scale of the tragedy could be seen from the remains of the destroyed building and the victims.
Ongoing Rescue and Relief Efforts
Since the explosion there has been major search and rescue operations going on as seen from the above video clips. The National Disaster Response Force(NDRF) has been busy for the past several hours trying to pulled out the bodies stuck under the debris. The rescue teams have been combing the wreckage sensitively with some limitations in terms of strengths from below and the toxic environment from the chemicals involved.
Thanks to the government, the relief operation has continued and the Director of Factories has already issued a report on the situation and the actions being taken. They said that the rescue operation is still going on and as per the latest report regarding the 21 members of the Bihar team, their identity has yet not been ascertained and the NDRF teams are still searching for any body or their team members buried under the debris. The remains that have been retrieved so far have been taken to KGH mortuary for postmortem to be conducted on them in order to establish the identity of the dead and the cause of their death.
On the other hand, the affected employees have been taken to different hospitals within the region to receive various treatment as being treats for burns, fractures, and respiratory problems from the side effects of the toxic gases. The medical teams in these hospitals noted to be on duty throughout the night attending to the survivors of the accident most of whom are in critical condition.
Government Response and Chief Minister’s Visit
The extent of the tragedy at Achyutapuram should have elicited the intensity that the government has brought to bear in dealing with the issue. Visakhapatnam district where the tragedy happened is in a state of mourning and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is planning to visit Achyutapuram the place today to try and console the families of the victims and also to get a first-hand look of the tragedy. As per the route map, the Chief Minister will reach Visakhapatnam at 11-30 am and will pay a visit to the injured employees who are admitted to the hospital will be between 12-10 pm to 12-40 pm. After this, he will inspect the premises of the blast from 1:25 pm to 1:45 pm, to get firsthand information on the degree of wreckage as well as oversight the rescue efforts of the affected region.
With regard to the survivors, it is believed that the Chief Minister’s visit will focus attention on them and the families of the deceased; at the same time, indicating the need for improving standards of safety and protection in the industrial workplace to avoid one or more similar disaster in future.
A Call for Accountability and Improved Safety Measures
Recent tragedy at Essentia Pharma which is located Achyutapuram has called for concern on industrial safety measures that are there to guard the individuals working in hazardous sectors. This has clearly shown that safety measures should always be put in place, maintenance should be well done on all the equipment’s, and periodic inspection of all the equipment to ensure that all the safety regulations are being complied with.
Further probe into the cause of the explosion means there will be emphasis placed on negligence and or violation of safety measures, and the responsible persons} The government and other regulatory authorities will be compelled to pay special attention to identification of insecurity measures at industrial venues in the state to avoid such a calamity in future.
Conclusion: A Community in Mourning
The incidence at Essentia Advanced Sciences Pharma Company at Achyutapuram has changed a community to a grieving one where families grieve for their lost ones; a workforce traumatized by the fatal blast. Through this tragedy it is highlighted that sometimes positive transformations in an industry can bring catastrophes that would or should not be risked even with numerous workers’ lives at stake.
In the post-rescue and –recovery phases that would follow soon, attention will be given to the indemnification and rehabilitation needs of the victims as well as their relatives. However, it will also force a debate on standards at industrial settings and measures that have to be put in place to avoid repetition of the situation in the future.
