Fire breaks out at GVK BIO facility; no casualty

A fire broke out at a facility of GVK Biosciences (GVK BIO), a drug discovery research and development organisation, here today, officials said. However, no one was injured in the blaze which started at around 3 pm and was brought under control by firefighters after nearly three hours, they said. A possible tragedy was averted after authorities quickly shifted as many 50 LPG cylinders from a gas agency's godown located in the nearby area after flames erupted from the GVK BIO lab at Uppal here, they said. "The fire could have been caused by sparks emanating due to some chemical reaction in the lab. There was no casualty. Property loss is yet to be examined. Mandatory fire safety measures were not in place in the lab," a Fire Department official said. Meanwhile, a release from GVK BIO said it was a "minor" fire. "GVK BIO follows utmost stringent safety norms at all its facilities and same are being further enhanced," the release said. The safety team is looking into the cause of the fire, it added.