APPCB shuts down Akkireddygudem Porus Laboratories

Eluru: After an explosion in the factory at Akkireddygudem that had killed six people on Thursday, the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board has finally ordered the closure of Porus laboratories.

The APPCB chairman A K Parida stated that Porus is a drug manufacturing factory where the mishap has taken place due to explosion of a reactor while manufacturing 4-Nitro-N-methyl phtalimide due to not implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

He also stated that the explosion has claimed six lives and injured several. He added that the explosion has caused environmental damaged due to hazardous flames going up air aftermath.

However, he instructed the concerned authorities of EPDCL to disconnect power supply to the unit without any delay.

According to some experts, 'N-Methylpyrrolidone' has been classified as most hazardous chemical combination as it would cause category-4 for skin irritation, category-2 for eye irritation, category-2A for reproductive toxicity, category 1B for specific target organ toxicity with single exposure and category 3 for respiratory system.

It is to mention here that on April 14, huge fire broke out at Akkireddy Gudemm Phorous Chemical Factory in Musunur mandal in Eluru district. The accident happened when a fire broke out in Unit-4 where six people were killed and several were injured in the crash. Five of the dead were identified as from Bihar. Seven 108 ambulances rushed all the injured to the Nuzivid Government Hospital in an attempt to escape the blaze. After first aid there, they were taken to Vijayawada Hospital.

Vijayawada government hospital Superintendent Bhagya Lakshmi said 12 people were admitted to Vijayawada Hospital over the incident and one died on the way. "We are treating 12 people and everyone except one is in critical condition with more than 70 percent of burns," Bhagya Lakshmi said adding that emergency treatment was being provided to the victims. The factory supervisor Raju responded to the incident and asserted that there was a loud noise before they could witness the blaze. He said all the people on the ground floor escaped the danger while most of them on the upper floor were burnt alive.