NEW DELHI, June 30 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and five others injured Friday after a solvent reactor exploded at a pharmaceutical company in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, officials said.
The explosion took place at the Sahiti Pharma Company in the Achutapuram Pharma Special Economic Zone of Anakapalli district, about 39 km southwest of Visakhapatnam, the main city of Andhra Pradesh.
The explosion triggered a massive blaze inside the building, following which authorities rushed firefighters to the spot.
Thick columns of smoke and bright flame billowed from the pharma unit, witnesses said.
"The fire in the premises of the pharma company has been brought under control," M M Ali, a senior official at Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, told Xinhua over the phone.
Reports said nearly three dozen people were present in the pharma company at the time of the explosion and a majority of them managed to escape unharmed.
Preliminary investigations suggest the explosion might have happened due to the boiling of solvents at high temperatures.
Accidental explosions are common at Indian factories as owners usually ignore safety standards. ■