At least 42 people have died in an explosion and fire at Sigachi Industries’ factory near Hyderabad in southern India on 30 June. The death toll has risen as more victims have been discovered under the debris of the collapsed building. At least 25 workers were hospitalised with burns and other serious injuries, according to local news reports.
The explosion occurred in the reactor area of the factory, igniting a massive fire and flattening the multistorey building, leaving dozens trapped under the rubble. Preliminary investigations suggest that an explosion occurred following a pressure buildup in a spray dryer unit processing microcrystalline cellulose, possibly due to an air handling system malfunction. A detailed investigation is under way to ascertain causes as well as possible negligence and breaches of safety protocols. Officials complained that the hazardous materials display was blank as rescue workers reached the site, leaving them unaware of the nature of the material they were handling.
The National Disaster Response Force, local police and fire service personnel mounted a rescue operation and nearly 30 workers – mostly migrants from Telengana and nearby states – were taken out from under the rubble. The Telengana state government has called it a ‘tragedy of unprecedented scale’ and instituted a special five-member inquiry team to probe the incident. The local Patancheru police have registered a case against Sigachi, following a complaint by the son of a victim killed in the blast.
Prime minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and announced federal compensation payments for the injured and families of the deceased. State chief minister Revanth Reddy visited the factory and promised additional compensation payments from the state. Reddy has also instructed state officials to conduct inspections in all chemical companies in the state.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, at least four people died and five others were hospitalised on 1 July in an explosion at a fireworks factory in Chinnakamanpati near Sivakasi – a major hub for manufacturing fireworks. The incident follows two other fatal explosions at fireworks plants elsewhere in the country in April.
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