One dies, two critically ill after inhaling toxic fumes at Tagoor Laboratories in Anakapalli

Anakapalli: One person died and two more are in critical condition after inhaling toxic fumes at a pharma company called Tagoor Laboratories Pvt Ltd. in Anakapalli. Nine members in total fell ill after inhaling the gas.

The incident occurred at the private company in Parawada Pharma City in Anakapalli district around 4:30 pm on Tuesday and the affected workers started displaying symptoms around midnight.

The deceased worker has been identified as Abhijit Das (23), a native of Odisha.

According to the officials, “Without taking any precautions, the workers were doing maintenance work on a reactor which underwent a heavy pressure build-up while mixing Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) and chloroform. This led to them inhaling those fumes.”

Affected did not display symptoms until midnight

However, the affected workers did not display symptoms immediately but started exhibiting them from around midnight in the form of cough and breathing issues, police said.

Nine workers have been hospitalised. Of them, one died and two are in critical condition, while the remaining six are undergoing treatment, he added. According to police, the company management did not alert the workers about the dangers of inhaling toxic fumes.

The police said a case will be registered over the incident.

Home Minister warns those responsible for the incident

Home Minister Vangalpudi Anitha responded to the incident and spoke to the district collector. She asked the officials to ensure the affected are given better treatment.

“Even though the government has given advance directives in the wake of past accidents, the companies haven’t taken things seriously. Strict action will be taken against those responsible for the accident and negligence of the Tagoor Laboratories management,” said Anitha in a statement.

It may be recalled that after a major accident in Escientia Advanced Science Pvt Ltd in August killed 17 persons, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu called upon all hazardous industries falling under the ‘red category’ to conduct regular internal safety audits to prevent explosions and fire accidents.

The chief minister then said it is imperative that industries should be established for the generation of employment and revenue for the government. “But at the same time, maintenance of safety standards is paramount. We cannot compromise on the safety of workers, especially in the industries falling under the red category,” he said.