Chemist Killed in Reactor Blast at Yadadri-Bhongir Pharma Unit
Choutuppal revenue divisional officer Shekar Reddy inspected the unit and inquired with the management about the incident. He instructed the company to adhere to safety norms as per law.
Nalgonda: A 39-year-old chemist was killed in a reactor explosion at a chemical manufacturing unit in Donthigudem village of Pochampally mandal in Yadadri-Bhongir district on Friday afternoon.
The deceased was identified as Dhara Praveen, a native of Gattu Singaram in Kusumanchi mandal of Khammam district. He had been working as a chemist at V.J. Sai Chemical Company for the past eight months. He is survived by his wife and a son.
According to police, the incident occurred at about 2.20 pm when Praveen was filling solvent into a reactor in D-Block of the unit. The reactor reportedly exploded due to a chemical reaction, and he was charred to death on the spot. The explosion was captured on the company’s CCTV cameras.
Praveen was scheduled to end his shift at 2 pm but continued working as his reliever had not arrived. Another employee, Krishna Swamy, who was present in the same block, ran out immediately after the blast and escaped unhurt.
Following the explosion, the block caught fire and thick smoke billowed from the premises, triggering panic in nearby villages. Two fire engines from Pochampally and Choutuppal rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control.
Choutuppal assistant commissioner of police Madhusudan Reddy said the CLUES team had collected samples from the site and the exact cause of the explosion would be known after examination. He said action would be taken against the management if any lapses in safety measures were found.
Choutuppal revenue divisional officer Shekar Reddy inspected the unit and inquired with the management about the incident. He instructed the company to adhere to safety norms as per law.
