Massive fire breaks out at Serum Institute, Covishield production will not be affected

A fire broke out today at the campus of the Serum Institute of India (SII), located at Manjari in Pune, officials from the Pune Fire Brigade said. The campus was under construction. An official said, “the building is not directly connected to Covishield manufacturing”. Thus, it is unlikely to affect the production of Covishield, the coronavirus vaccine developed by the SII in partnership with the Oxford University and British-Swedish pharma firm AstraZeneca.
The official also said that at the time when the fire started, most people were evacuated. “Four people were stuck when fire intensified. Three of those four people have been rescued by our team, efforts are on to safely evacuate the fourth person,” said the officer who is supervising the rescue operation.
The Serum Institute of India, which prides itself as "the world's largest vaccine maker", is spread over 100 acres in Pune.
Manjari, the complex where the fire broke out, is a few minute's drive from the production facility, as per sources. It is believed to be a part of a Special Economic Zone.