5 killed in fire at Serum Institute

Firefighters try to control the blaze at an under-construction unit of Serum Institute of India on Thursday. Pic/AFP

Five people were killed after a major fire engulfed an under-construction unit of Serum Institute of India (SII) in Manjri on Thursday afternoon. The blaze has not affected the production of the COVID-19 vaccine - Covishield.

Health Minister Rajesh Tope said at least five bodies were recovered in the building after the fire was doused. "Till 6 pm, five deaths were reported. The search operation is still going on. The sparks from welding work caused the fire that spread speedily because of insulation material," he said, adding that a report has been sought from the authorities.

Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol said the authorities were yet to identify the deceased, but they could be contract workers.

The fire was reported at 2.45 pm to the police and the Pune Fire Brigade brought it under control by 5 pm, and rescued six people trapped inside the building.
SII's Manjri SEZ unit, which is not fully functional yet, houses several new buildings. The blaze erupted in a wing on the top floor of a building and spread to other wings.

A senior SII official said Covishield was not being produced at this facility currently, but the firm was planning to start production of Covishield and other vaccines in the coming months. He added that neither any inflammable material nor raw material were stored in the facility.

Pune Police Commissioner Amitabh Gupta said, "Covishield vaccine wasn't produced here. In fact, we're told no other vaccine was manufactured here."

SII's Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla assured that Covishield production won't be hit due to the fire, as they have "multiple production buildings in reserve to deal with such contingencies".

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said, "I'm told that electrical work was being carried out there. Fortunately, Covishield wasn't produced there, but it had something related to the BCG vaccine (rota virus). I'm also informed that the fire was brought under control. I appreciate the firefighters who risked their lives for saving others. Serum Institute is very important for public healthcare," he had said before the casualties were announced.

The CM later spoke to Poonawala about the incident. He will visit the site on Friday to review the situation.

Rs 25lakh
Compensation institute will give kin of deceased