Telangana pharma unit blast toll rises to 36

The toll in the explosion at Sigachi Industries' pharma plant in Sangareddy district of Telangana rose to 36.

The toll rose after more bodies were found during the removal of debris, officials said. The fatal accident on Monday is suspected to have been caused by a chemical reaction.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who visited the site, said the state government would engage with the management of the firm to ensure that a compensation of Rs 1 crore was paid to the kin of those who died in the accident.

He said those who were seriously injured would receive Rs 10 lakh.

“Thirty-six people have lost their lives. Some are still missing. Officials are in the process of collecting information,” the CM said, adding that stringent action would be taken against those responsible for the incident.

“The state government will talk to the company management to ensure that Rs 1 crore compensation each is paid to the families of the deceased,” Reddy said.

He said the state government would pay Rs 1 lakh each to the family of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured to meet any immediate and emergency expenses. He also visited a hospital where some injured people are undergoing treatment.

There were 143 persons at the time of the blast, out of which 56 are in touch with officials. Search is on for the rest of the people. Most of the deceased were from Odisha, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, he said.

The police have registered an FIR against the factory management in connection with the explosion under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempting to commit culpable homicide) and 117 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of the BNS. The investigation is ongoing.

A senior official of the Department of Factories, Telangana, said they would file a case against the licence-holder and the manager of the unit under the Factories Act-1948.

Revanth Reddy accompanied by Ministers Sridhar Babu, Damodara Raja Narasimha, G Vivek and P Srinivasa Reddy visited the blast site and reviewed the situation with senior officials.

The blast site at Pashamylaram was filled with people, anxiety written on their faces, waiting for information about their loved ones as rescue teams were clearing the debris with heavy equipment. The area was littered with debris, including concrete blocks and iron rods. The police have barricaded the factory site, preventing people from venturing into it.