Fire breaks out at Serum Institute building in Pune, vaccine production not hit: Report

• According to reports, the site where the fire broke out, is an under-construction building at Serum Institute of India, three people have been evacuated so far
• Serum Institute chief Adar Poonawalla took to Twitter to assure that no lives were lost or no injuries reported

A major fire broke out at the Pune-based vaccine manufacturing company, Serum Institute of India on Thursday.

The company is involved in producing Covid-19 vaccine Covishield – developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca – which has been given emergency use authorisation in India recently and is being used for inoculation in the country’s mega vaccination drive.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Namrata Patil told PTI the fire broke out at 2:45 pm on the fourth and fifth floor of the SEZ 3 building in the Serum Institute premises.

“As per the primary information, three people have been evacuated,” she said, according to PTI.

10 fire tenders have reached the site of the mishap. One team of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) moved to the site as well. Firefighting operations are underway.

There was no immediate word on any casualties, nor on the cause of the fire.

The Manjari facility, where the fire broke out, is where Covishield vaccine is made, reported PTI. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the official said.

However, this mishap would not affect the production of the coronavirus vaccine as the fire broke out in a facility away from the place where the anti-coronavirus vaccines are made, reported PTI citing a close source.

The site where the fire broke out, is an under-construction building at SII. The vaccine and vaccine manufacturing plant are safe, quoted ANI further.

Visuals all over the social media show huge plumes of smoke coming out of the buildings.