<p> At least 17 workers were today injured, five of them seriously, in a major fire that broke out reportedly following a blast at the Nagarjuna Agrichem plant in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district, police said.<br /></p>.<p><br />"As per the initial reports there was a cylinder blast which triggered the blaze", Srikakulam Dy SP Arjun said without elaborating.<br />According to sources, around 200 workers were present at the time of the accident.<br /><br />All the injured have been admitted to Srikakulam-based Rajiv Institute of Medical Sciences, officials said.<br /><br />Five fire engines were rushed to the spot to douse the fire which is still raging.<br />However, senior district officials refused to comment saying they are investigating into what could have triggered the fire at the plant situated at Arinam Akkivalasa village this morning.<br /><br />Nagarjuna Agrichem is a unit of Nagarjuna Fertilisers and Chemicals.<br /><br />Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, the district authorities have started evacuating people from at least five villages, including Arinam Akkivalasa, Kesavarayuni Peta, Rayapadu, Boddapadu, situated in the vicinity of the site.<br /><br />Top district officials, including district collector G Venkatram Reddy, joint collector P Bhasker and SP K V V Gopala, are monitoring the operations.</p>
<p> At least 17 workers were today injured, five of them seriously, in a major fire that broke out reportedly following a blast at the Nagarjuna Agrichem plant in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district, police said.<br /></p>.<p><br />"As per the initial reports there was a cylinder blast which triggered the blaze", Srikakulam Dy SP Arjun said without elaborating.<br />According to sources, around 200 workers were present at the time of the accident.<br /><br />All the injured have been admitted to Srikakulam-based Rajiv Institute of Medical Sciences, officials said.<br /><br />Five fire engines were rushed to the spot to douse the fire which is still raging.<br />However, senior district officials refused to comment saying they are investigating into what could have triggered the fire at the plant situated at Arinam Akkivalasa village this morning.<br /><br />Nagarjuna Agrichem is a unit of Nagarjuna Fertilisers and Chemicals.<br /><br />Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, the district authorities have started evacuating people from at least five villages, including Arinam Akkivalasa, Kesavarayuni Peta, Rayapadu, Boddapadu, situated in the vicinity of the site.<br /><br />Top district officials, including district collector G Venkatram Reddy, joint collector P Bhasker and SP K V V Gopala, are monitoring the operations.</p>
