Date:03/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/03/stories/2008030373080300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Haste costs their lives?

G.V.R. Subba Rao

‘Automatic safety valves would have avoided tragedy’

PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR

Shattered: People gather at Lakshmi Organics, where there was an explosion on Sunday. —

KONDAPALLI: The death of three persons in an explosion at Lakshmi Organics, a chemical factory in the Industrial Development Area (IDA), here on Sunday was said to have been due to scamp work on the part of the workers.

Gadde Srinivas, who died on the spot, was one among the five workers who were in a hurry to finish their night duty in the factory that manufactures drug intermediaries like Cis Bromo Benzoate.

They, probably, did not notice that pressure was building up in the reactor that contained solvent methanol. It killed him on the spot, while Dasari Ramu, 28, succumbed to injuries at the hospital.

The explosion was so severe that the beams and pillars caved in and Srinivas was trapped under the debris though other workers managed to come out. Proprietor of a neighbouring factory rushed to the spot and quickly initiated some measures to cool the 10 other reactors on the first floor. The body of Srinivas could not be retrieved till the fire was brought under control.

P. Krishna and M. Venkateswara Rao, who escaped unhurt, shifted Ramu and T. Venkateswara Rao, 24, who were injured grievously. But, it was too late for Ramu to survive. Venkateswara Rao too succumbed to injuries later.

A preliminary inquiry by the officials of the Department of Factories and Boilers suggested that the vacuum pump might have failed. The tragedy could have been averted had there been automatic safety valves, the officials said.

“The reactor should have exploded even before the workers realised that the pressure was building up,” opined B. Chandrasekhar, plant in-charge. Quoting eyewitnesses, he said that it all happened “in a fraction of a second.”

But, what made the workers pay less attention to the pressure?

It was around 6.30 a.m. and they were in a mood to be relieved from their duties. Another batch was to relieve them at 7 a.m.