Fire in factory, many trapped

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA, MAY 13. A major fire broke out in the `dine salt' manufacturing unit in the premises of SIRIS pharmaceutical company here on Saturday. Mr. K. V. Rayapa Raju, vice- president and son-in-law of Mr. G. S. Raju, and some others were trapped. Three bodies have been recovered.

The entire four-storeyed building is engulfed in fire. Flames are leaping out to a height of about 50 metres with billowing smoke and the heat is so intense that people could not reach anywhere near it.

Three fire engines rushed to the spot and were fighting hard to control the blaze. However, they were unequal to the task. Efforts are being made to requisition foam fire-fighting equipment from the IOC.

According to eyewitnesses, it started with two lorries, carrying the raw material, going into the building for unloading. An explosion occurred and a few workers who were inside ran out to safety. The explosion was so loud that even those working in the main building, numbering a few hundred, left their work and ran out in panic. Those in nearby shops also ran to safety.

The explosion created panic in the surrounding areas which are thickly populated. While shopkeepers pulled down their shutters and ran away, residents came out of their houses fearing a catastrophe reminiscent of the Bhopal Gas tragedy. It was initially a huge fire with occasional bursts of chemicals. The Kennedy School with about 2,000 children is located nearby, but was saved the ordeal because of summer holidays.

On noticing the fire, Mr. Rayapa Raju, contacted his family on the cell phone. His wife rushed to the place but could not go anywhere near the building. Mr. G. S. Raju, Chairman of SIRIS group of companies and former deputy chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, was seen taking away his daughter. The fate of Mr. Rayapa Raju is not known. Dazed company officials could not give details as to how many persons were working in the ill-fated building at the time of the mishap.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Regional
Previous : Congress alleges irregularities in PPAs
Next     : Patrolling along Telugu Ganga canal