Fire in Serum Institute; Covishield facility not affected

Nine persons were evacuated from abuilding in the Serum Institute of India's Manjari premiseshere after a fire broke out there on Thursday, police said.

There would be no loss of Covishield production due tothe fire, 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.

''Thank you everyone for your concern and prayers. Sofar the most important thing is that there have been no liveslost or major injuries due to the fire, despite a few floorsbeing destroyed,'' Poonawalla tweeted.

''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. Thank youvery much @PuneCityPolice & Fire Department,'' he added.

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

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.

A fire brigade official said cause of the fire is yetto be ascertained.

A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team wasrushed to the spot, an official said.

Pune Police Commissioner Amitabh Gupta said all thepeople trapped inside the building where the fire broke outhave been evacuated.

Chief Fire Officer Prashant Ranpise said cooling workhas commenced at the spot. Nobody was injured in the fire, headded.

Fifteen water tankers were pressed into action and thefire was brought under control around 4.30 pm, 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 an instruction has beengiven to carry out a detailed probe into the incident,'' AjitPawar said.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has asked the statemachinery to ensure that the fire is brought under control,his office tweeted. He is in touch with the Pune MunicipalCommissioner, the CMO added.