
BREAKING
Fire breaks out at Serum Institute of India, local media says, adding that production of coronavirus vaccine was not affected.
A big fire has broken out at a plant being built for the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s biggest vaccine maker, but it will not affect production of coronavirus vaccines, a source close to the firm said.
SII is manufacturing millions of doses of a vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca for India and many other low- and middle-income countries.
The company is also getting ready to produce a vaccine being developed by the United States company Novavax Inc.
Television channels showed a huge cloud of grey smoke above the site in Pune in western Indian state of Maharashtra.
The reports said that the blaze was at a construction site at the large facility. Pune’s fire office told Reuters news agency that five fire trucks had been sent to the site.
There was no immediate word on any casualties, nor on the cause of the fire.
An SII representative did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.