A 58-year-old employee of a pharmaceutical company was hospitalised after allegedly inhaling a toxic gas while on duty at a pharma unit in Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City (JNPC), Parawada, in Anakapalli district, Visakhapatnam. The incident, which occurred on Monday (July 13, 2026), came to light on Tuesday (July 14, 2026) after he was admitted to a hospital in a critical condition.

According to Parawada police station Inspector L. Bhaskar Rao, the employee, T.V. Ramana Murthy, was working as an operator during his shift when he allegedly inhaled ethyl chloroformate gas.

After his shift, Ramana Murthy returned home, developed severe health complications and fell ill. His family first took him to a private hospital. As his condition deteriorated, he was referred to KIMS Hospital, where he has been put on ventilator support.

The police said they were verifying the circumstances in which the exposure occurred. Further investigation is on.

A sulphuric acid leak a day earlier

Two workers were injured in a sulphuric acid leak at another pharma unit in the JNPC area on Monday (July 13, 2026). One of them, a chemist, suffered chemical burns on his face and right shoulder when a drum of sulphuric acid burst.

According to preliminary reports, the leak occurred while workers were using a chain-pulley system to move the chemical drum to the first floor. The chain reportedly snapped, and the drum fell and shattered, causing the spill and injuring another worker nearby.

Ganisetty Satyanarayana, honorary president of the Pharma City Staff and Workers Union, condemned the incident and sought a full inquiry into the safety measures at the plant. He alleged that negligence in handling hazardous materials had led to the accident, and asked the management to ensure the injured workers received the best possible treatment. “The accident happened due to a failure in the material-handling equipment,” he said.v

Published - July 14, 2026 12:37 pm IST