On Thursday afternoon, the fire broke out in a complex that is under construction and a few minutes’ drive from the facility where the Covid vaccines are produced.
Serum Institute of India’s CEO Adar Poonawalla, day after a massive fire at the premises of his company In Pune, said there was no damage to any vaccine as none were being produced at the site.
Addressing a joint press conference with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Mr Poonawalla said: “This was a brand new facility. It was for the future production of BCG and Rotavirus. No actual vaccine was actually being produced there, so there was no damage to any vaccine.”
There was no damage to Covishield, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine being used in India’s Covid inoculation drive, he added. “Where Covishield is manufactured and stored, no damage was done to that,” he said.
On Thursday afternoon, the fire broke out in a complex that is under construction and a few minutes’ drive from the facility where the Covid vaccines are produced. 5 people reportedly died due to the fire.
Mr Poonawalla informed that more than ₹ 1,000 crore worth of equipment and products were damaged in the fire.
“The loss is mainly financial. There is no loss to supplies as such,” he said.
Mr Thackeray, when asked about the possibility of negligence, said an investigation was on.
“We can’t comment before the investigation is complete. After that will be able to say whether it was negligence or anything else,” the Maharashtra CM said.
Mr Poonawalla said the responsibility of the five people who died in the fire has been taken by the company.
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