Post by : Jyoti Gupta

Photo:PTI

A massive explosion at Sigachi Industries’ pharmaceutical plant in Pashamylaram, Sangareddy district, has claimed the lives of 36 workers and left at least 34 others injured. The incident, which occurred on Monday morning, is believed to have been triggered by a chemical reaction that also sparked a fire within the facility.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy visited the site on Tuesday and met with the injured at a local hospital. Speaking to the media, he confirmed that the state government would ensure that a compensation of ₹1 crore is provided to the families of each deceased worker, with contributions from both the government and the company.

“In addition, the state will give ₹1 lakh to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured to meet immediate expenses,” the Chief Minister said. Those seriously injured will receive ₹10 lakh, while workers who can return to duty after recovery will be given ₹5 lakh.

Officials said that 143 workers were present at the time of the explosion. So far, only 56 have been traced. Several workers are still missing, and a search operation is underway. Most of the deceased were migrant workers from Odisha, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana.

Chief Minister Reddy also assured that all medical expenses of the injured would be covered by the state government and Sigachi Industries. He stated that strict action will be taken against those responsible for the tragedy.

Health Minister Damodara Raja Narasimha said that the explosion was caused by a suspected chemical reaction in the plant. Eyewitnesses described the blast as extremely powerful, with some workers thrown up to 100 metres due to the force of the impact.

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the cause of the blast and are working to account for the missing workers.