A devastating blast at an Indian pharmaceutical factory has claimed the lives of at least 17 people, with 34 others injured, many with severe chemical burns.
The explosion occurred on Wednesday afternoon at a pharmaceutical unit in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district.
District police superintendent M. Deepika confirmed that “rescue operations are over” and all individuals have been accounted for, with a final toll of “17 dead and 34 injured”. According to Deepika, investigators believe the blast was caused by a “gas leak… which eventually hit an electrical panel”.
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Local police official M. Buchaiah described the scene as “horrible” and “heartbreaking”, with those caught in the blast suffering severe chemical burns.
“They were screaming before they lost consciousness,” Buchaiah told the Indian Express daily, recounting the pain and distress of the survivors as they were carried to ambulances.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on social media, saying he was “pained by the loss of lives” and announcing compensation of $2,380 to the families of those killed. The Hindu newspaper reported that the force of the blast was so strong that it left severed body parts scattered around the site.
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