The death toll in the explosion at Sigachi Industries' pharma unit in Telangana’s Sangareddy district rose to 36 on Tuesday, a senior police official said.
According to District Superintendent of Police Paritosh Pankaj, cited by PTI, that 34 bodies were recovered from the debris, while two others died in hospital during treatment. The final phase of the rescue operation is still in progress. The incident took place on Monday morning at Sigachi Industries Pvt. Ltd., located in the Pashamylaram industrial area. The blast reportedly occurred in one of the reactor units of the facility, followed by a major fire and partial structural collapse.
A distress call was received by the Fire Control Room at 9.37 a.m., prompting the deployment of eleven fire tenders. Fire department officials said a pressure build-up inside the reactor is suspected to have caused the explosion. A detailed probe is underway to ascertain the exact cause and whether safety protocols were adhered to.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and approved an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to those injured, from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was sent to assist local authorities. Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy said he had spoken to district officials and urged immediate rescue and medical action.
According to The Hindu, Several families gathered at the site, searching for missing workers. Revenue department officials began recording names and contact details of those seeking information. Many of the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals with severe burn injuries. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is scheduled to visit the site on Tuesday. Health Minister C Damodar Rajanarasimha said the government is monitoring the situation and ensuring all possible medical support.
Sigachi Industries is involved in the manufacture of pharmaceutical excipients, intermediates, APIs, and nutraceutical ingredients. Following news of the explosion, the company's shares dropped by 9.89 per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange, trading at ₹49.72 by noon on Monday
