Serum Institute fire: Adar Poonawalla explains why he tweeted, 'no lives lost' Adar Poonawalla has given an explanation on his tweet that he did after fire broke out at Serum Institute's facility in Pune on Thursday afternoon. "The fire has no impact on the production of Covishield vaccine and no damage has occurred to the existing stock either": Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla (Image Source: ANI) Share Updated: Jan 22, 2021, 06:21 PM IST Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said that he was deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the fire at the vaccine-maker's facility in Pune. Five people lost their lives in the fire that broke out at a building inside Terminal Gate 1 of the Serum Institute of India (SII) in Maharashtra's Pune on Thursday afternoon. The fire had broken out at a plant of the Serum Institute in Manjri area of Pune.