Toxic Gas Leak at Parawada Pharma Unit Sends Six Employees to Hospital

Six employees of a pharmaceutical company in Parawada, Anakapalli district, were hospitalised on 4 August 2025 after reportedly inhaling a toxic gas suspected to have leaked at their workplace. Among them, shift-in-charge M Sai remains under medical observation, while the other five are said to be stable and are expected to be discharged after receiving basic treatment.

The incident took place at the unit of Lupin Manufacturing Solutions Limited, a bulk drug manufacturing company. Officials from the Factories Department and the Parawada police arrived at the site shortly after receiving information about the suspected leak. Deputy Chief Inspector K Parameswara Rao stated that M Sai may have inhaled a toxic chemical, possibly isobutyronitrile, which can affect the human body.

The initial findings suggest that Sai, who was supposed to wear a protective airline suit while handling the substance, had only used an N95 mask, a violation of the safety protocol. Fortunately, officials confirmed that there were no serious complications so far, and all six individuals are receiving proper care.

This Parawada gas leak incident has drawn criticism from the Pharma Staff and Workers’ Union. Ganisetty Satyanarayana, the honorary president of the union, visited the factory and addressed the media, demanding strict action against the company’s management.

He pointed out that a similar gas leak incident occurred in Parawada on July 8, when another worker, P. Laxman Kumar, was hospitalised for 20 days due to illness caused at the same facility. He said this second incident shows a continuing lack of proper safety standards at the plant and urged authorities to hold the management accountable for the latest gas leak incident in Parawada.

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