Hyderabad– The death toll from the massive explosion at a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Pashamylaram, near Hyderabad, has climbed to 36 as of Tuesday, marking one of the deadliest industrial disasters in Telangana’s history.
The toll rose sharply overnight as more injured workers succumbed to their injuries in hospitals and rescue teams recovered additional bodies from the rubble of the collapsed building.
Rescue operations continued Tuesday as teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), Revenue Department, and police worked to clear the debris of the three-story building that was reduced to rubble by the blast.
The explosion occurred Monday morning at Sigachi Industries Limited, a pharmaceutical unit located in the Pashamylaram industrial area of Sangareddy district, about 50 kilometers from Hyderabad. The blast originated in the Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) drying unit and injured more than 30 workers, several of whom remain in critical condition.
At the time of the explosion, 108 workers were reportedly on site. The force of the blast was so intense it could be heard from nearly five kilometers away and caused a fire that required 15 fire engines to control.
Eyewitnesses described a horrifying scene where the blast flung workers into the air, with some landing dozens of meters from the site. Many victims were migrant laborers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha.
So far, four of the deceased have been identified as Jaganmohan, Ram Singh, Shashibhushan Kumar, and Laganjeet. Due to the severity of the explosion and fire, several bodies were either blown apart or burned beyond recognition. Authorities are conducting DNA tests to confirm their identities.
Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha and Labor Minister G. Vivek visited the site again on Tuesday morning to assess the situation. Director General of Police Jitender and other senior officials also arrived to oversee the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is scheduled to visit the site later today and will also meet with the injured at a government hospital.
The state government has appointed a high-powered committee to investigate the cause of the explosion. The panel includes the Chief Secretary, Special Chief Secretary (Disaster Management), Principal Secretaries for Labor and Health, and the Additional Director General of Police (Fire Services).
According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the committee will not only probe the causes of the disaster but also recommend measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. (Source: IANS)
