A devastating explosion at the Sigachi Industries pharmaceutical plant in Telangana’s Pashamylaram industrial estate on Monday claimed the lives of at least 12 people and left 34 others injured, according to state Health Minister Damodara Raja Narasimha.
The blast occurred between 9:28 am and 9:35 am due to a suspected chemical reaction inside a reactor at the plant, leading to a massive fire. Labour Minister G Vivek Venkatswamy confirmed that eight people died earlier in the day, with four more bodies recovered later. Both ministers visited the accident site to oversee rescue and relief operations.
Inspector General of Police V Satyanarayana said around 150 workers were present in the factory at the time of the explosion, with approximately 90 located near the site of the blast. Rescue operations were promptly launched with the help of ten fire engines, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). The fire was eventually brought under control.
Authorities are working to determine the exact number of people present during the explosion, as the factory personnel responsible for maintaining attendance records is believed to have perished in the blast.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy also expressed anguish and directed officials to ensure advanced medical treatment for the injured and full rescue support for those affected.
Sigachi Industries Limited, as per its official profile, specializes in manufacturing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), intermediates, excipients, and vitamin-mineral blends. The company has yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
