Two employees of a pharmaceutical manufacturing unit were killed after being exposed to chloroform vapours that leaked during a production process at Saraca Laboratories Limited in the Gaddapotharam industrial area of Jinnaram mandal in Sangareddy district late on Thursday (October 22).

The deceased were identified as Sudharshan Rao, 44, and Balaji, 27, both natives of Andhra Pradesh. One of them was working as a chemist and the other as a supervisor at the facility.

Following the incident, the Telangana Pollution Control Board (TGPCB) on Friday ordered the immediate closure of the unit and directed the Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGSPDCL) to disconnect its electricity supply.

According to the TGPCB, the incident occurred around 11.30 p.m. on Thursday during a layer separation process in Production Block-2 of the facility.

The leak reportedly occurred while chloroform was being transferred from a reactor located on the first floor to a receiver on the ground floor. Vapours spread rapidly through the production area, exposing the two employees to the chemical.

Both workers lost consciousness and were rushed to Narayana Hospital, where the duty doctor declared them dead. The hospital subsequently informed the police.

Following the deaths, TGPCB officials inspected the manufacturing facility on Friday and obtained details of the incident from the company’s general manager and deputy general manager. During the inspection, company representatives explained the circumstances surrounding the leak and provided technical details of the production process during which the incident occurred.

Considering the seriousness of the incident, the Board issued closure orders without providing the company an opportunity for a hearing beforehand. It also instructed TGSPDCL officials in Sangareddy to disconnect the unit’s power supply.