A massive explosion at the Sigachi Chemical Industry in Pashamylaram, Sangareddy district of Telangana, has claimed 36 lives, as confirmed by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Tuesday. The blast occurred on Monday, suspected to have been triggered by a reactor failure, which led to a large-scale fire that destroyed the factory premises.
Rising Death Toll
The number of casualties has seen a sharp rise since the incident.
The toll, which was 12 till Monday night, rose to 34 on Tuesday morning, and later climbed to 36,” as multiple reports presented varying figures.
As per official reports so far, 36 lives have been lost,” said Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, adding that,
“Officials are verifying the whereabouts of missing people.”
Rescue Operations in Final Phase
Rescue teams have been working around the clock, clearing the debris and searching for survivors.
” Several bodies have been found under the debris while removing it… The last leg of the rescue operation is still going on,”
said District Superintendent of Police Paritosh Pankaj to PTI.
The operations are being conducted by NDRF, HYDRAA, and Telangana Fire Disaster Response teams.
What Triggered the Explosion?
Though the exact cause is yet to be confirmed, officials suspect a chemical reaction within a reactor led to the explosion and the subsequent fire.
The explosion blew up the industrial shed completely and the force of the blast was so intense that some of the workers were thrown up in the air and they fell down about 100 metres away,”
eyewitnesses reported.
Workers Inside the Plant
At the time of the explosion, the plant was fully operational.
“Around 90 employees were in the factory at the time of the incident,”
said State Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha.
In the immediate aftermath, at least 10 bodies were recovered during firefighting operations, with more found during deeper rescue efforts.
Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma expressed grief and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
He wished a speedy recovery to the injured and spoke with Labour, Employment Training and Factories (LETF) Principal Secretary M. Dan Kishore, directing him to:
“Extend all possible assistance and help to all the victims of the blast.”
PM Modi announces ex gratia for victims’ kin-
PM Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the families of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.
He conveyed his sympathies and hoped for the healing of the injured, saying he was “anguished” to learn about the incident
Cause Still Under Investigation
While the exact trigger is under investigation, initial assessments indicate a chemical reaction in a reactor could have caused the catastrophic explosion.
This incident has cast a spotlight on industrial safety lapses and raised concerns about compliance with hazardous material handling protocols in chemical factories.
