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The death toll in the fire and explosion at a pharmaceutical unit in Pashamylaram near Hyderabad has increased to 36, with around 16 people still untraced as per a bulletin issued at 10 am on Tuesday, July 1.
A total of 143 persons were believed to have been at Sigachi Industries Limited’s factory at the time of the blast. Of these, 58 persons have been tracked by officials, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said after visiting the site on Tuesday.
According to official information, another 34 people have also been located and have received assistance from the authorities.
“This is the worst industrial accident the state has seen so far,” CM Revanth said. “Officials are investigating whether the untraced persons are trapped under the debris or have managed to escape,” he added.
CM Revanth announced that he had instructed officials to ensure that the families of the deceased receive an ex-gratia amount of Rs 1 crore from Sigachi Industries management. “Those who are injured and unable to work again will receive Rs 10 lakh, and those temporarily unable to work will receive Rs 5 lakh,” he said. He also added that the children of the deceased would be given the option of enrolling in state-run residential schools.
Most of the deceased were from Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, as per preliminary information, the Chief Minister said.
“The government will take measures to prevent such accidents in the future and ensure that industries implement strict safety measures,” he added.
With some of the injured succumbing in hospitals and rescue workers recovering more bodies from the debris, the death toll has risen sharply since Monday, June 30, when the blast occurred.
A massive explosion had rocked Sigachi Industries Limited’s pharmaceutical factory at Pashamylaram Industrial Area in Sangareddy district, about 50 km from Hyderabad, on Monday morning. The three-storey structure was completely destroyed in the explosion.
The blast occurred in the factory’s Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) drying unit.
Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), Revenue Department, and police continued operations to clear the debris.
So far, four deceased persons have been identified as Jaganmohan, Ram Singh, Shashibhushan Kumar, and Laganjeet.
As some victims’ bodies were blown to pieces or charred beyond recognition, authorities are conducting DNA tests to establish their identities.
The state government has appointed a high-powered committee to probe the disaster and identify its underlying causes.
The committee comprises the Chief Secretary, Special Chief Secretary (Disaster Management), Principal Secretary (Labour), Principal Secretary (Health), and the Additional DGP (Fire Services).
According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the panel will also make recommendations to prevent the recurrence of such industrial accidents.