Raichur: A chemical leak at a pharmaceutical manufacturing factory near Raichur in Karnataka resulted in the death of three workers early on Wednesday.
Two others were injured and have been admitted to a hospital in Raichur.
The gas leak occurred at the factory located in the Kadechur-Badiala industrial area of the state’s Yadgir district, as reported by Indian Express.
The victims, in their early twenties, have been identified as Vikram and Sanjay, both residents of Katni district in Madhya Pradesh, and Ganesh, a native of the Mahabubnagar district in Telangana.
The incident occurred inside the factory between 1 am and 2 am, officials said. Five workers were rushed to the Raichur Institute of Medical Sciences, where doctors declared three of them brought dead.
The injured workers, identified as Hemanth and Shivakumar, are undergoing treatment. District authorities said one of them is in a critical condition.
“We inspected the factory and found that thionyl chloride was being used in a stainless steel reactor. During the process, sulphur dioxide gas is generated and is carried through a pipeline to the scrubber. The pipeline developed a leak, resulting in the workers inhaling the gas. Three people died due to the inhalation, while two others are undergoing treatment at RIMS Hospital,” Pandve Rahul Tukaram, deputy commissioner, said while speaking to the media.
Yadgir SP Pruthvik Shankar, along with senior police officials, visited the factory and inspected the site.
“We have spoken to the owner of the company and instructed them to implement all necessary safety measures. The company will now be under police investigation, and those concerned will have to appear before the police. We have also directed the management to provide details regarding the compensation process for the victims’ families,” Tukaram added.
An FIR has been registered at Saidapur police station against the company, its manager, and other officials.
A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) along with forensics experts have been deployed to determine the exact cause of the incident, identify the sequence of events, and ascertain any technical lapses.
Further action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation, officials said.