Yadgir, 5 Aug

Three workers died and two others were critically injured after a chemical gas leak at a pharmaceutical manufacturing unit in the Kadechur–Badiyal Industrial Area of Yadgir district in the early hours of Wednesday.

The deceased were identified as Katla Ganesh (23) from Telangana, and Vikram Singh Gond (25) and Sanjay Singh Gond (25), both from Madhya Pradesh. Manchala Hemanth and Manchala Shivakumar, from Andhra Pradesh, were critically injured and admitted to RIMS Hospital, Raichur.

Yadgir SP Prithvi Shankar told Salar News that the incident occurred between 2 am and 3.30 am at Cil Laboratory’s manufacturing plant after a pipeline carrying gas to a chemical scrubber developed a leak. The workers reportedly inhaled the toxic gas and suffocated.

Police said a case has been registered against the factory management at Saidapur Police Station, and further investigation is underway.

Yadgir Deputy Commissioner Pandve Rahul Tukaram said, “We inspected the factory and found that thionyl chloride was being used in a stainless steel reactor. During the process, sulphur dioxide gas is generated and is carried through a pipeline to the scrubber. The pipeline developed a leak, resulting in the workers inhaling the gas.”

The NDRF and forensic teams have been deployed to determine the cause and identify any technical lapses.