The explosion that claimed 40 lives at the pharma facility in Pashamylaram of Telangana’s Sangareddy district was not caused by a reactor explosion, Sigachi Industries said in a press release issued on Wednesday, July 2. The company said they will provide updates as the investigation progresses, and announced that operations at the plant would be temporarily suspended for at least 90 days.
“As we await the results of the investigation, we would like to clarify that the accident was not caused by a reactor explosion at the plant, as mentioned in sections of the media,” the company stated in their first public statement after the accident.
Sigachi Industries also said that they are fully cooperating with the investigation and promised Rs 1 crore in compensation to the families of the deceased. The injured will receive full medical and rehabilitation support, the company added.
“Since the time of the accident, we have been coordinating the emergency response, family support, and extending full cooperation with the investigation and compliance efforts,” it said.
A first information report (FIR) has been filed against the management of Sigachi Industries for negligence. It was registered based on a complaint filed by Yashwanth Rajanala, the son of one of the deceased workers.
In his complaint, Yashwanth alleged that his father and several other employees had repeatedly raised concerns with the management about the outdated machinery used at the facility. They had warned of a “potential danger to property and men,” but the company paid no heed to them, the complaint stated.
The FIR has been registered under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), and 117 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The explosion occurred on June 30 while 143 workers were on duty at the plant. Several injured workers were rushed to Dhruva Hospital in Patancheru and Pranaam Hospital in Miyapur for treatment.
The police said that rescue teams are still searching for the bodies of at least half a dozen workers believed to be trapped under the debris.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who visited the accident site on Tuesday, July 1, announced Rs 1 crore ex-gratia for the families of the deceased. He described the incident as the worst industrial accident in Telangana so far. He also criticised the absence of the company’s top management at the site.
Industries Minister Sridhar Babu reportedly asked, “If you are so preoccupied, why are you running factories?” warning that the government would take a serious view of the matter.
Most of the deceased workers were from Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, officials said.
“The government will take steps to prevent such accidents in the future and ensure that preventive measures are strictly implemented by industries,” the Chief Minister added.