Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla has assured the public that there has been "no loss of production" of the Covishield vaccine for COVID-19, after a fire broke out at an SII plant in Manjari, Pune, leading to the building's evacuation and causing damage to several floors.
No lives were lost and no major injuries were recorded from the incident so far.
"I would like to reassure all governments & the public that there would be no loss of #COVISHIELD production due to multiple production buildings that I had kept in reserve to deal with such contingencies at @SerumInstIndia. Thank you very much @PuneCityPolice & Fire Department," Poonawalla tweeted.
I would like to reassure all governments & the public that there would be no loss of #COVISHIELD production due to multiple production buildings that I had kept in reserve to deal with such contingencies at @SerumInstIndia. Thank you very much @PuneCityPolice & Fire Department
— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) January 21, 2021
He confirmed that a few floors had been destroyed due to the fire.
Thank you everyone for your concern and prayers. So far the most important thing is that there have been no lives lost or major injuries due to the fire, despite a few floors being destroyed.
— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) January 21, 2021
"Thank you everyone for your concern and prayers. So far the most important thing is that there have been no lives lost or major injuries due to the fire, despite a few floors being destroyed," he tweeted.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Namrata Patil told PTI the fire broke out at 2.45 pm on the fourth and fifth floor of the SEZ 3 building in the Serum Institute premises.
"Three people have been evacuated," she said.
Viral visuals from the site showed smoke billowing out from the Serum Institute facility.
"We have sent water tenders to the spot," a fire brigade official said, adding the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
The Manjari facility is where the Covishield vaccine used in the nationwide inoculation drive against the pandemic is made. The vaccine, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, is one of two vaccines being deployed by India to inoculate over 30 crore people in a bid to protect healthcare workers and the most vulnerable segments of the population.
The building where the fire broke out is part of the under-construction site of the Serum facility and is one km from the Covishield manufacturing unit, sources said.
With inputs from PTI
