The Vice President on 21 January said he was pained by the loss of lives due to a fire at the Serum Institute of India in Pune and expressed condolences to the bereaved family members.

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 the deceased 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. "Pained by the loss of lives due to a fire accident at the Serum Institute of India, Pune. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family members. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," he said on Twitter.

The Manjari facility is where the Covishield vaccines used in the nationwide inoculation drive against COVID-19 are being manufactured. However, the Serum Institute of India CEO said Covishield vaccine production won't be hit due to the fire.