Solvent leak could have triggered fire in AP pharma unit: Official

A suspected solvent leak may have caused a fire at a pharmaceutical unit, resulting in 17 deaths, a senior official reported on Thursday.

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu visited the injured persons at a hospital in Visakhapatnam and announced ex-gratia of Rs one crore to the kin of victims. He also assured necessary precautions to prevent such incidents in future.

Anakapalli district Collector Vijaya Krishnan said that there was no rise in the death toll which stood at 17 following the accident on Wednesday. “The actual cause is yet to be ascertained,” she said, adding preliminary assessment pointed to solvent leakage from a pipe which fell on an electric panel, leading to the fire accident.