Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
With the death toll at Sigachi Industries in Telangana’s Sangareddy district increasing to 42, forensic experts have said that identifying the deceased could take up to two weeks due to the condition of the bodies.
A forensic expert working at the Telangana Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) told TNM that many of the bodies were severely charred, making DNA extraction extremely challenging. “If body parts are missing or too badly damaged, identification becomes very difficult. We are currently assembling bones to proceed with decalcification, a process that enables DNA extraction from skeletal remains,” the expert explained, adding that this method takes longer than standard DNA procedures.
In a statement issued on Sunday, July 6, Sigachi Industries confirmed that two more employees had succumbed to injuries, increasing the confirmed death toll to 42. The company said 61 workers were confirmed safe, while eight remain missing.
At Patancheru Government Hospital, officials reported that 22 of the 24 collected DNA samples have been successfully matched and the bodies handed over to the victims’ families. The deceased were migrant workers from Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.
According to officials at Patancheru Government Hospital, of the 24 DNA samples collected so far, 22 bodies have been identified and handed over to their families. The deceased hailed from Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
The explosion at Sigachi Industries located in Pasamylaram area of Sangareddy district occurred while 143 workers were on duty at the plant. Several injured workers were rushed to Dhruva Hospitals in Patancheru and Pranaam Hospitals in Miyapur for treatment.
Also Read: Missing relatives, charred bodies: Telangana pharma blast leaves families distraught
Police officials are still working with rescue teams to look for the bodies of at least half a dozen workers trapped under the debris.