AP: Five workers killed in boiler explosion at Sri City healthcare facility in Tirupati District

Sri City (Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh), Oct 3 (TNT): Five workers were killed in a boiler explosion at the TIL Healthcare facility in Sri City SEZ in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday morning, with one of the injured workers later succumbing while undergoing treatment at a Chennai hospital.

The explosion occurred at around 0830 hours during a shift change at the facility.

As the previous day was a holiday on account of Gandhi Jayanti, only essential personnel were present at the time of the incident, according to a statement issued by Sri City.

The deceased were identified as Gourab Roy of West Bengal, Chinna Mastan of Cherivi village, Ramesh of Madarapakam, Mohan of Naidukuppam and Vasu of Tada, who sustained severe injuries in the blast and later succumbed while undergoing advanced treatment in Chennai.

Following the incident, emergency response teams, local authorities and company officials launched rescue and relief operations.

Tirupati district Collector Dr Venkateswar and Superintendent of Police L. Subbarayudu, along with senior state government officials, visited the site and ordered an investigation.

The Collector said a case had been registered and a detailed investigation would determine any lapses involving the factory, personnel or machinery, following which appropriate action would be taken.

He said each bereaved family would receive Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia, while funeral and medical expenses would be borne by the government.

TIL Healthcare Director Ajay Kumar expressed condolences to the bereaved families and said the company would extend all necessary assistance to the affected employees and their families.

He said the company had been operating in Sri City for 17 years and maintained that it had followed safety protocols during its operations.

The company would fully cooperate with government authorities and other agencies in investigating the cause of the accident, he added.

Sri City Managing Director Dr Ravindra Sannareddy described the incident as a painful moment for the Sri City community and said it was the first such incident in the 18-year history of Sri City.

He said comprehensive safety audits had been conducted following the recent Visakhapatnam boiler incident and safety monitoring had continued.

TNT KS