Worker on ventilator after gas exposure at Visakhapatnam Pharma City unit
A pharmaceutical worker in Visakhapatnam is in critical condition after inhaling toxic gas, while two others were injured in a separate sulphuric acid leak at the same industrial park. Local unions have demanded a full safety inquiry, citing equipment failure and negligence.
Why it matters
These incidents highlight recurring industrial safety and occupational health concerns within India's rapidly expanding pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.
A 58-year-old employee of a pharmaceutical company was hospitalised after allegedly inhaling a toxic gas while on duty at a pharma unit in Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City (JNPC), Parawada, in Anakapalli district, Visakhapatnam . The incident, which occurred on Monday (July 13, 2026), came to light on Tuesday (July 14, 2026) after he was admitted to a hospital in a critical condition.
According to Parawada police station Inspector L. Bhaskar Rao, the employee, T.V. Ramana Murthy, was working as an operator during his shift when he allegedly inhaled ethyl chloroformate gas.
After his shift, Ramana Murthy returned home, developed severe health complications and fell ill. His family first took him to a private hospital. As his condition deteriorated, he was referred to KIMS Hospital, where he has been put on ventilator support.
The police said they were verifying the circumstances in which the exposure occurred. Further investigation is on.
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