Great escape for 19 in factory fire

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Nineteen workers were injured on Saturday when two reactors blew up at Nagarjuna Agrichem Limited (NACL) plant, in Srikakulam district’s Chilakapalem village.

Sources said that Block V of the factory had been engaged in manufacturing the pesticide MBN Micro Butanal for the last 10 days. At around 9 am on Saturday, the workers took a tea break, leaving 50 reactors in the plant unattended. Ten minutes later, two of the reactors blew up along with their condensers owing to a pressure build-up.

Sources said that the 19 survivors are lucky to be alive as they managed to escape the blaze. The entire block was engulfed in flames and rescue teams soon reached the NACL unit, which is barely 10 km from the headquarters in Srikakulam. Despite all efforts by fire safety personnel, the fire could only be brought under control after about 7 hours at 4 pm. Meanwhile, the entire plant was closed down and Special Forces were deployed to avoid untoward incidents.

There was a panic situation in the area as the entire 10-km National Highway stretch between Chilakapalem and the plant was blocked by the administration as a precautionary measure. Residents of surrounding villages started evacuating their houses fearing a second blast and the release of hazardous chemicals and pesticides in the air. Tension prevailed for hours near Chilakapalem and the surrounding 10 villages till the fire was finally brought under control.

Tension grips villages near NACL mishap site
Tension prevailed for hours near Chilakapalem and the surrounding 10 villages till the fire was finally brought under control. “There was an unbearable smell of chemicals following the blast. We tried to move away fearing further blasts,” said a family from Pedaraopalli, situated near the plant. However, many families from 10 villages like Arinam, Akkivalasa and Beerapeta could not go anywhere as the highway was blocked.

“We had no information about the status of the fire. We were totally confused about what was going on,” said another villager. “Special measures were taken to evacuate the surrounding villagers by 11.30 am, in case if the situation demanded. However, we realised that there would be no more blasts, as the unit was shut down and thus there was no need for evacuation,” said collector G. Venkatrami Reddy who monitored the situation.

Srikakulam RIMS professor Sunil Nayak confirmed that three workers had been referred to the KGH, while the other 16 received minor injuries. “R.V. Rangachalam, N. Ramanayya and P. Jagadeeswara Rao were referred to KGH as they were having problems breathing and were injured as well,” he added. NACL president (operations) Rama Raju said, “Investigations are on to trace the exact cause of the incident. Plant operations have been stopped for two days.”

Meanwhile, irate villagers gheraoed local MLA M. Neelakanta Swami Naidu, complaining about chemicals being released in the air and affecting their crops. As the situation became tense, the police asked the MLA to return.