Pune: Fire breaks out at Serum Institute of India
On Thursday afternoon, a fire broke out at the Terminal 1 gate of Serum Institute of India, Pune. 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the blaze. Visuals from ground zero showed heavy plumes of smoke emanating from the property. For the unversed, SII is manufacturing millions of doses of Covishield — the Oxford-AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine. Here's more.
The facility of SII, the world's largest manufacturer of vaccines, is reportedly spread over 100 acres. The fire broke out at a complex named Manjari, which is just a few minutes away from the manufacturing unit. The blaze affected the fourth and fifth floors of the SEZ3 building. Pune Collector Rajesh Deshmukh said neither the stock nor the production of Covishield would be affected.
#Fire breaks out at #SerumInstituteofIndia, Pune but there is #no #impact on #Covishield stock or production. Pune Collector Rajesh Deshmukh said that fire is the Rotavirus plant and is under control.
— TOI Pune (@TOIPune) January 21, 2021
Adar Poonawalla-owned SII is playing a pivotal role in India's coronavirus vaccination program, which started on January 16. Earlier, when the transportation of thousands of vials began to various parts of India, Poonawalla got sentimental. "It was an emotional moment for the team at @seruminstituteindia as the first shipments of #Covishield finally left for multiple locations across India, (sic)" he had written.
So far, the Indian government has procured 11 million doses of Covishield at the cost of Rs. 200 per dose. Once the vaccine becomes available in the private market, it will cost not more than Rs. 1,000/dose, Poonawalla had revealed earlier. He had also disclosed that by as early as March, doses of Covishield would be available at private hospitals.
