12 killed in explosion and fire at Indian pharmaceutical factory
New Delhi
Media outlets in India are reporting that at least 12 people have been killed in a huge explosion at a chemical plant in the south of the country.
Several people have also been injured, the NDTV broadcaster and other Indian media reported on Monday, citing authorities. The explosion triggered a major fire in an industrial area near the city of Hyderabad in the state of Telangana.
The fire department recovered the charred bodies of 10 workers in an industrial area about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the state capital Hyderabad (31 miles), the state's fire services director GV Narayana Rao told The Associated Press.
Two other workers succumbed to burns and were pronounced dead at a hospital, Rao said, adding that debris of the gutted pharmaceutical unit of Sigachi Industries was being removed to find out if any more workers were trapped. Nearly three dozen injured workers were admitted to hospitals. he said. 'It was an explosion in a spray dryer unit of the factory, which is used to process raw material into fine powder for making drugs,' Rao said.
The cause was initially unclear. It is suspected that a chemical reactor exploded, the local newspaper the Deccan Chronicle, reported. Employees of the Sigachi company, which manufactures pharmaceutical and chemical products, were affected.
India is home to some of the world's top pharmaceutical companies, playing a pivotal role in the global supply of generic medicines and vaccines. The country's robust manufacturing and cost-effective production have made it a hub for pharma giants.
Industrial accidents, particularly involving chemical reactors, aren't uncommon in such factories, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols and regulatory oversight in a sector critical to public health.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
4 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
Delhi given 8 weeks to round up thousands of stray dogs
agencies new delhi India's top court has ordered authorities in Delhi and its suburbs to move all stray dogs from streets to animal shelters. The court expressed concerns over rising 'menace of dog bites leading to rabies' and gave an eight-week deadline to officials to finish the task. Delhi's stray dog population is estimated at one million, with suburban Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram also seeing a rise, municipal sources say. India has millions of stray dogs and the country accounts for 36% of the total rabies-related deaths in the world, according to the World Health Organization. 'Infants and young children, not at any cost, should fall prey to rabies. The action should inspire confidence that they can move freely without fear of being bitten by stray dogs,' legal news website Live Law quoted the court as saying. The court directed that multiple shelters be established across Delhi and its suburbs, each capable of housing at least 5,000 dogs. These shelters should be equipped with sterilisation and vaccination facilities, as well as CCTV cameras. The court ruled sterilised dogs must not be released in public areas, despite current rules requiring their return to the capture site. It also ordered that a helpline should be set up within a week to report dog bites and rabies cases. Animal welfare groups, however, have voiced strong concerns over the court's directive. They said that the timeline set up by the court was unrealistic. 'Most Indian cities currently do not have even 1% of the capacity [needed] to rehabilitate stray dogs in shelters,' said Nilesh Bhanage, founder of PAWS, a prominent animal rights group. 'If the court and the authorities actually want to end the menace, they should focus on strengthening the implementation of the existing regulations to control dog population and rabies - they include vaccination, sterilisation and efficient garbage management.' Government data shows that there were 3.7 million reported cases of dog bites across the country in 2024.
Al Jazeera
01-07-2025
- Al Jazeera
Death toll rises to 36 after India pharmaceutical factory blast, fire
At least 36 people have been confirmed dead after a powerful explosion triggered a fire at a pharmaceutical factory in the southern Indian state of Telangana. 'The condition of the bodies is such that we've had to deploy a specialised medical team to carry out DNA tests,' said Health and Medical Cabinet Minister of Telangana Damodar Raja Narasimha on Tuesday. A government panel has been formed to investigate the cause of the disaster. The blast, which erupted on Monday afternoon at a facility run by Sigachi Industries, took place in the plant's spray dryer unit – a section used to convert raw materials into powder for drug manufacturing. The factory is located roughly 50km (31 miles) from Hyderabad, the state capital. Authorities recovered 34 bodies from the debris, while two more workers succumbed to injuries in hospital, according to Telangana's fire services director, GV Narayana Rao. 'The entire structure has collapsed. The fire is under control and we're continuing to clear the rubble in case more people are trapped,' he told the Associated Press news agency. Twenty-five of the deceased are yet to be identified, a district administrative official, P Pravinya, said. About 36 workers remain in hospital with burns and other injuries. Police officials said that more than 140 people were working in the plant when the incident occurred. Local residents reported hearing the blast from several kilometres away. The incident has raised new concerns about industrial safety in India's booming pharmaceutical sector. Despite the country's reputation as a global supplier of low-cost medicines and vaccines, fatal accidents at drug manufacturing units are not rare, particularly in facilities handling chemicals or solvents. Sigachi Industries, which has its headquarters in India, produces active pharmaceutical ingredients and nutrient blends, and operates manufacturing plants across the country. It also runs subsidiaries in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, according to its website. Officials say rescue and recovery efforts will continue until the entire site has been cleared. The factory's operations have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
Qatar Tribune
30-06-2025
- Qatar Tribune
12 killed in explosion and fire at Indian pharmaceutical factory
agencies New Delhi Media outlets in India are reporting that at least 12 people have been killed in a huge explosion at a chemical plant in the south of the country. Several people have also been injured, the NDTV broadcaster and other Indian media reported on Monday, citing authorities. The explosion triggered a major fire in an industrial area near the city of Hyderabad in the state of Telangana. The fire department recovered the charred bodies of 10 workers in an industrial area about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the state capital Hyderabad (31 miles), the state's fire services director GV Narayana Rao told The Associated Press. Two other workers succumbed to burns and were pronounced dead at a hospital, Rao said, adding that debris of the gutted pharmaceutical unit of Sigachi Industries was being removed to find out if any more workers were trapped. Nearly three dozen injured workers were admitted to hospitals. he said. 'It was an explosion in a spray dryer unit of the factory, which is used to process raw material into fine powder for making drugs,' Rao said. The cause was initially unclear. It is suspected that a chemical reactor exploded, the local newspaper the Deccan Chronicle, reported. Employees of the Sigachi company, which manufactures pharmaceutical and chemical products, were affected. India is home to some of the world's top pharmaceutical companies, playing a pivotal role in the global supply of generic medicines and vaccines. The country's robust manufacturing and cost-effective production have made it a hub for pharma giants. Industrial accidents, particularly involving chemical reactors, aren't uncommon in such factories, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols and regulatory oversight in a sector critical to public health.
