NEW DELHI: Five people were killed in a fire that broke out at Terminal 1 gate of
Serum Institute of India in Pune on Thursday.
Ten fire tenders were rushed to the institute. The vaccine and vaccine manufacturing plant are safe, reported ANI.
"The five people who died, were perhaps the workers at the under-construction building. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained but it is being speculated that welding, that was going on at the building, caused the fire," said Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol.
Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawala offered his condolences to the victim.
"We are deeply saddened and offer our deepest condolences to the family members of the departed."
Maharashtra CMO in a statement said CM Uddhav Thackeray is in touch with the Pune municipal commissioner and is taking on-ground updates.
Thackeray has directed the state machinery to coordinate and ensure that situation is under control, the statement said.
The incident would not affect production of the coronavirus vaccine
Covishield, Poonawala had tweeted earlier.
Serum Institute of India is manufacturing Covid-19 vaccine Covishield in partnership with
Oxford-AstraZeneca
in India.