Five dead in Serum Institute fire; Covishield facility unaffected

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PUNE:

The fire at the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), on Thursday, was an unfortunate event witnessed before the nationwide inoculation drive against the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to reports, five people died in the fire, and rescue personnel evacuated nine others from the premises of the Manjari facility.

Sources said that the building where the fire broke out is part of the under-construction site of the Serum facility and is one kilometre away from the Covishield manufacturing unit.

Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the institute, informed that the Covishield vaccine production unit of the building is unaffected though, and that production will not stop.

“I would like to reassure all governments & the public that there would be no loss of #COVISHIELD production because of multiple production buildings that I had kept in reserve to deal with such contingencies at @SerumInstIndia,” Poonawalla tweeted.

The fire, which broke out at 2:45 pm on the fourth and fifth floors of the SEZ3 building in the Serum Institute premises, was brought under control within two hours. (PTI)

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