The Telangana Pollution Control Board has ordered the immediate closure of Saraca Laboratories Ltd. after a chloroform vapour leakage at its Hyderabad-area facility killed two people, directing the state power utility to disconnect electricity supply to the unit.
The closure order was issued on Friday after TGPCB officials inspected the industry and investigated the incident. The board said it acted because of the seriousness of the accident and did not provide the company an opportunity for a hearing before issuing the order.
According to information given to the pollution control officials by industry representatives, the leakage occurred at around 11.30 pm on October 22 during a layer separation process. Chloroform was being transferred from a reactor on the first floor to a receiver on the ground floor in production block-2 when the vapour escaped.
The vapours rapidly spread throughout the area, exposing two people who became unconscious, the officials were informed. They were taken to Narayana Hospital, where the duty doctor declared them dead. The report did not identify the deceased or specify their roles at the facility.
TGPCB has directed the Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited to disconnect electricity to Saraca Laboratories. The order places the unit under an immediate operational shutdown while the regulatory action follows the inspection into the leak.
The incident highlights the safety risks associated with handling hazardous chemicals inside industrial production facilities, particularly during transfer and processing operations. The available account does not specify whether further enforcement action, a detailed safety audit or compensation measures have been announced.
The immediate next step identified by the pollution control board is the implementation of the closure order and the disconnection of power supply to the Saraca Laboratories unit. Further details on the investigation and any additional directions were not provided in the report.
