Two killed in Indian reactor explosion

ON 5 November, in the early hours of the morning, two people were killed as a result of a reactor explosion at a pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals company’s facility in India, reports The Times of India.

The news source says that according to district information officer Manoj Sanap, the explosion occurred at 02:40 local time. A reactor at the site exploded during a manufacturing process, though the process is not specified. It reportedly took firefighters five hours to extinguish the resulting fire.

The facility, owned by Jasnova Pharmaceutical and Specialty Chemicals, was located at an industrial area in Khalapur, in the Raigad district, Maharashtra, India. According to The Times of India, the victims affected were in adjacent plots where metal from the reactors fell after the explosion. In addition to the two killed, eight people were injured, including three children. All those injured were treated at a local hospital and have been discharged, says the report.

It adds that two workers that were in the facility escaped unhurt, as it was “gutted”.