5 dead in Serum Institute fire; Covishield facility unaffected

Fireofficials recovered the bodies during an inspection, he said.Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said thestate government has ordered a probe into the blaze.The fire, which broke out at 2.45 pm on the fourth andfifth floors of the SEZ 3 building in the Serum Institutepremises, was brought under control in two hours, police said.Deputy Commissioner of Police Namrata Patil told PTIthat nine people were evacuated from the spot after the firebroke out.Viral visuals from the site showed smoke billowing outfrom the Serum Institute facility.Chief Fire Officer Prashant Ranpise said cooling workhas commenced at the spot.

Five persons died and nine wereevacuated from a building in the Serum Institute of India'sManjari premises here after a fire broke out at the facilityon Thursday, police said.

Covishield vaccine production won't be hit due to thefire, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said.

The Manjari facility is where the Covishield vaccineused in the nationwide inoculation drive against the pandemicis made. The building where the fire broke out is part of theunder-construction site of the Serum facility and is one kmfrom the Covishield manufacturing unit, sources said.

''I would like to reassure all governments & the publicthat there would be no loss of #COVISHIELD production due tomultiple production buildings that I had kept in reserve todeal with such contingencies at @SerumInstIndia,'' Poonawallatweeted.

''We have just received some distressing updates; uponfurther investigation we have learnt that there hasunfortunately been some loss of life at the incident. We aredeeply saddened and offer our deepest condolences to thefamily members of the departed,'' Poonawalla added.

Mayor Murlidhar Mohol said it appears the five personswho died in the fire were working on the building floor. Fireofficials recovered the bodies during an inspection, he said.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said thestate government has ordered a probe into the blaze.

The fire, which broke out at 2.45 pm on the fourth andfifth floors of the SEZ 3 building in the Serum Institutepremises, was brought under control in two hours, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Namrata Patil told PTIthat nine people were evacuated from the spot after the firebroke out.

Viral visuals from the site showed smoke billowing outfrom the Serum Institute facility.

Chief Fire Officer Prashant Ranpise said cooling workhas commenced at the spot. Fifteen water tankers were pressedinto action and the fire was brought under control around 4.30pm, he said.

''The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Furniture, wiring, cabins were gutted. No major machinery orinstruments were stored on the floors where the fire brokeout,'' he said.

''I have taken information from the Pune MunicipalCorporation about the incident and instructed locals officialsto carry out a detailed probe into the fire,'' Ajit Pawar said.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray told reporters that asper initial information, an electrical fault caused the fire.

''As per initial information, the fire did not erupt atthe unit where the COVID-19 vaccine is being produced, but inthe unit where the BCG vaccine is produced,'' Thackeray said.

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