AP govt notice to Aurobindo Pharma over fire accident

The Andhra Pradesh government has issued a notice to Aurobindo Pharma in connection with a fire accident at its manufacturing plant located in Srikakulam district last month that claimed lives of two workers, a senior official said today.

According to a senior official of the Directorate of Factories, the notice was issued to the company seeking explanation about the incident and also questioning some of the safety aspects which might have led to the same.

D Chandrasekhar Varma, Joint Chief Inspector of Factories, said the incident occurred during a process involving a chemical called Trityl Perchlorate and samples of the chemical were sent for examination.

"We have issued the notice to Aurobindo Pharma asking them as to what led to the accident. Based on their reply, there could be some investigation further. The whole process will be completed in three months," Varma said.

The department has ordered the drug maker to suspend operations at the plant where the mishap took place.

When contacted, a company spokesperson said the state government might have issued the notice as part of the "routine" process.

Two persons were killed and one injured in a blast at the generic drug maker's Active Pharma Ingredients (API) manufacturing plant at Pydibhimavaram in Srikakulam district near Visakhapatnam on November 28.

"The powder processing area is isolated from the intermediate block. There was no impact to the operations as well as to the assets," Aurobindo Pharma had said in a statement after the incident.