Telangana factory blast: Death toll rises to 39
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Hyderabad: The death toll from the fire and explosion at Sigachi Industries Ltd’s manufacturing facility in Pashamylaram, near Hyderabad, has climbed to 39, following the death of an injured worker undergoing treatment at a local hospital on Friday.
The worker, Bheem Rao, had been receiving care at Dhruva Hospital in Patancheru. A native of Maharashtra, he was among those injured in the blast that devastated the plant.
On Thursday, Sigachi Industries revised its earlier casualty count, stating that the number of deaths stood at 38, down from the initially reported 40.
The company also confirmed that 12 of the 33 injured team members have since been discharged, and each has received interim relief of ₹1 lakh. It reiterated its commitment to providing full medical and rehabilitation support to the injured.
An official investigation, headed by the Chief Secretary to the Government of Telangana, is currently underway to review the circumstances surrounding the incident. Preliminary findings are expected within a week.
Sangareddy District Collector P. Pravinya said, "31 bodies have been identified so far," adding that nine workers are still unaccounted for.
She noted that "out of 143 people who were in the factory premises at the time of the blast, 61 came out safely."
During a fresh round of search operations on Thursday, rescue teams recovered 20 pieces of skeletal remains from the debris. These remains have been sent to a forensic science laboratory for DNA analysis.
Superintendent of Police Paritosh Pankaj reported that "95 per cent of DNA collection has been done. The remaining will be completed as soon as families reach Sangareddy."
The Chief Secretary-led high-level committee is scheduled to visit the blast site on Friday.
The state has tasked a committee—comprising the Chief Secretary, Special Chief Secretary (Disaster Management), Principal Secretary (Labour), Principal Secretary (Health), and Additional DGP (Fire Services)—to investigate the disaster and determine its causes.
In parallel, a four-member technical expert panel has been formed to identify the cause and sequence of events that triggered the explosion. The committee is chaired by B. Venkateshwar Rao, Emeritus Scientist at CSIR-IICT, and includes T. Prathap Kumar, Chief Scientist at CSIR-IICT, Surya Narayana, a retired scientist from CSIR-CLRI, and Santosh Ghuge, Safety Officer at CSIR-NCL, Pune.
The explosion occurred on June 30 at Sigachi Industries’ Pashamylaram plant, located in Patancheru Mandal, Sangareddy district. The facility produces microcrystalline cellulose powder, a binding agent used in pharmaceutical tablets and capsules.
(inputs from IANS)
