Sharad Pawar visits Serum Institute to take stock of the situation

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday (January 23) visited the vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII) in Manjri, where a major fire had broken out two days ago, killing five people.

The NCP Chief had come to Warje to inaugurate the 45-meter-high national flag. Pawar visited the affected building around noon and took stock of the situation.

Visited the Serum Institute in Pune along with @adarpoonawalla and reviewed the present situation there, after the unfortunate fire incident. pic.twitter.com/6X2Z6pqYYw

— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) January 23, 2021

In a tweet, Pawar later said, “Visited the Serum Institute in Pune along with @adarpoonawala and reviewed the present situation there, after the unfortunate fire incident”.

On Friday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had visited the SII to inspect the fire site. The SII on Friday said it has suffered losses to the tune of over Rs 1,000 crore due to the devastating fire.

Thackeray had said that a probe into the incident was on and whether the blaze was an accident or sabotage will be known after it.

Pawar had said in Kolhapur that the fire was as ‘accident’ and that there was “absolutely no doubt about the integrity of scientists” working with the Pune-based vaccine manufacturer.

SII CEO Adar Poonawala had said that the fire broke out in the BCG vaccine producing unit which is about one kilometer from the Covishield vaccine manufacturing unit.