According to local media reports, the blast happened on Saturday and took place on the premises of Nectar Lifesciences, an Indian generic drug manufacturer.
The facility where the explosion took place is located in Saidpura, Punjab. At the time of the incident, 28 employees were present on location.
So far, 16 people have been reported as injured. Five individuals injured are being treated with severe burns from the blast.
The exact cause of the explosion is not yet known., with an investigation into the incident ongoing. In the interim period, all operations at the unit have ceased.
A video posted by local media shows the building that houses Nectar’s manufacturing partially collapsed.
Nectar Lifesciences possesses 11 manufacturing facilities in the Indian states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, and, according to the company’s website, operates as a contract research organization (CRO) and contract manufacturing organization (CMO).
The company focuses on the production of cephalosporins, a class of antibiotics, which it exports to China, South Korea, Brazil, South Africa, and Russia.
The news of the explosion in Saidpura comes only two months after a similar incident at Pusilin Biotechnologies’ Indian facility, when its Haryana manufacturing plant during repair work. Three workers for the company died as a result of this incident.
