India Factory Blast Kills 17

AFP/APP

New Delhi: A devastating blast at a pharmaceutical factory in India has claimed the lives of at least 17 people, with several of the 34 injured suffering severe chemical burns, police reported on Thursday.

The explosion, which occurred on Wednesday afternoon, took place at a pharmaceutical unit in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district. According to The Hindu newspaper, the force of the blast was so powerful that it left severed body parts scattered across the site.

District police superintendent M. Deepika confirmed that “rescue operations are over” and that all victims had been accounted for, with a final toll of “17 dead and 34 injured.” She noted that investigators suspect the blast was triggered by a “gas leak… which eventually hit an electrical panel.”

Buchaiah, a local police official, described the horrific scene to The Indian Express, stating that those caught in the blast suffered excruciating chemical burns.

“It was horrible, heartbreaking,” he said, recounting the agony of the survivors as they were transported to ambulances. “They were screaming before they lost consciousness,” he added.