Mumbai, Jan 21 (PTI) NCP president Sharad Pawar on Thursday termed the fire at the Serum Institute of India in Pune as very tragic and unfortunate and condoled the death of five people in the incident.

Five men died after a fire broke out in a five- storeyed under-construction building in the Serum Institute of India's Manjari premises, police said.

All were construction workers whose bodies were recovered by fire brigade personnel from the fifth floor, police said, adding nine others were evacuated from the spot.

The news of the fire at the Serum Institute in Pune is very tragic and unfortunate.

"My condolences to families of those who lost their loved ones. I wish speedy recovery to the injured, Pawar tweeted.

The Manjari facility is where the Covishield vaccines used in the nationwide inoculation drive against COVID-19 are being manufactured.

The building where fire broke out is one km from the Covishield vaccine manufacturing unit, sources said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)