Fire hits building at Indian producer of COVID-19 vaccines

A hearth has damaged out at a constructing below development at Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine producer, presumably affecting its future enlargement of COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing

PUNE, India — A hearth broke out Thursday at a constructing below development at Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine producer, presumably affecting its future enlargement of COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing.

Firefighters had been extinguishing the flames, the fireplace workplace in Pune metropolis in southern Maharashtra state stated. The reason for the fireplace and extent of injury weren’t instantly clear.

“Now we have rescued three individuals and there are not any casualties,” stated hearth official Prashant Ranpise, who was supervising rescue operations.

The corporate stated the fireplace was restricted to a brand new facility it’s developing to extend manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines and guarantee it’s higher ready for future pandemics.

It stated the fireplace didn’t have an effect on current amenities making COVID-19 vaccines or a stockpile of round 50 million doses.

“Up to now a very powerful factor is that there have been no lives misplaced or main accidents because of the hearth, regardless of a couple of flooring being destroyed,” firm CEO Adar Poonawalla stated.

Photos confirmed enormous plumes of smoke billowing from the constructing as firefighters labored to extinguish the blaze. Dozens of firm staff in lab fits left the compound.

Serum Institute of India is the world’s largest maker of vaccines and has been contracted to fabricate a billion doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford College vaccine.

Poonawalla stated in an interview with The Related Press final month that it hopes to extend manufacturing capability from 1.5 billion doses to 2.5 billion doses per yr by the tip of 2021. The brand new facility is vital to the enlargement.

Of the greater than 12 billion coronavirus vaccine doses anticipated to be produced this yr, wealthy international locations have already purchased about 9 billion, and lots of have choices to purchase much more. Because of this, Serum Institute is prone to make many of the vaccines that will probably be utilized by growing nations.