Andhra Pradesh CM Visits Pharma Blast Victims, Pledges Comprehensive Support

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu met victims of a reactor blast at an Atchutapuram pharma company. He assured support for the victims' families and announced financial aid. The incident left 17 dead and several injured, prompting high-level inquiries and national condolences.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday visited the victims of a devastating reactor blast at a pharmaceutical company located in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Atchutapuram, Anakapalli. The explosion occurred on Wednesday, killing 17 people and injuring several others with serious burns.

During his visit to the victims at Visakha Hospital, the Chief Minister expressed his sympathy and reassured the families of the deceased and injured. He announced financial aid packages: Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased, Rs 50 lakhs for those grievously injured, and Rs 25 lakhs for those with minor injuries. He also ordered a high-level inquiry into the tragic incident, vowing to implement measures to prevent future accidents.

The Prime Minister also expressed his grief and announced ex-gratia payments of Rs 2 lakhs to the kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. President Droupadi Murmu and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar took to social media platform X to offer their condolences and prayers for the victims.

The incident stemmed from a 500-kilo-litre capacitor reactor explosion at a pharma company where approximately 200 workers were present. The investigation into the cause of the explosion is ongoing.

(With inputs from agencies.)