Fire at Parawada pharma unit’s metformin block; all workers evacuated safely

Fire at Parawada pharma unit’s metformin block; all workers evacuated safely A static discharge while a tablet compression machine was being cleaned is suspected to have caused the fire, say police ANAKAPALLI A minor fire incident was reported at the production block of Aurobindo Unit-15 in the early hours of Friday (October 23, 2026) in Parawada mandal of Anakapalli district. All personnel working inside the block were evacuated safely, and no casualties were reported, the police said. According to Parawada Inspector L. Bhaskar, the incident occurred in the production block of the pharma unit, where metformin is manufactured. A tablet compression machine was being cleaned using isopropyl alcohol. A static electricity discharge is suspected to have triggered the initial ignition, which was followed by the spread of smoke inside the production block. But the exact cause of the incident has not yet been officially confirmed.