C Harika, a young chemical engineer, could have survived the Andhra pharma unit blast if her workplace`s management had allowed her the extra day of leave she asked. The 22-year-old engineer from Kakinada had returned home to celebrate Raksha Bandhan and requested an extra day off to take a competitive exam on Wednesday. However, Escientia Advanced Sciences Pvt Ltd, a company that manufactures intermediate chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), declined her request, PTI report cited local sources as saying. 

According to the report, Harika returned to work, only to become a victim of a powerful vapour cloud explosion at the pharma unit in Atchutapuram on August 21 at 2:20 pm.