Telangana's Sigachi blast not a one-off error: Experts cite multiple safety failures; call for regulatory overhaul

Time of India

02-07-2025

HYDERABAD: One of
Telangana
's worst industrial disasters is unlikely to have been caused by a single error. Experts say it could well be the outcome of multiple failures. Overheating, faulty temperature sensors, and suspected lapses in safety monitoring all combined to trigger the deadly explosion at Sigachi Industries in Pashamylaram.
Investigations by forensic and environmental agencies point to thermal decomposition (ignition) of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) - a chemical prone to combust at temperatures above 399°C - as the immediate cause of the explosion. Experts believe it led to a dust explosion, powerful enough to bring down parts of the factory and kill several workers.
Director of Telangana Forensic Science Laboratory, Shikha Goel, said it's too early to confirm the exact cause.
Confirming that a chemical team had visited the site, she said: "The overheating of a combustible substance likely led to a dust explosion. Forensic collection was limited due to ongoing rescue operations. We will revisit the site soon."
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Poorly maintained spray dryers ticking time bombs, says expert
Hyderabad Disaster Management and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) commissioner AV Ranganath, after inspecting the plant, said, "The rise in temperature that led to thermal decomposition of MCC should have been flagged on monitoring screens, but no one noticed it.
The alarm system didn't go off. The sensors seem to have failed."
He also said the death toll was high as the blast happened during a shift roll call, with workers from night and day shifts present in the small dryer area. "Powder packing was underway, so the area was crowded," he said.
K Babu Rao, former chief scientist at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, said, "It looks like a classic dust explosion. Spray dryers, if not well maintained, are ticking time bombs.
Cellulose dust is combustible and needs just one ignition point. Failures like these often happen in sugar factories. We have seen such explosions in crude drug units in Nellore and Parawada in the past."
Choking in spray dryer
A Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TGPCB) official, speaking anonymously, echoed these findings. "The blast was likely caused by choking in the spray dryer. That built up pressure and heat.
Maintenance was clearly poor," he said.
PCB member-secretary G Ravi said the plant was permitted to function until 2027 but confirmed, "We will now issue a closure notice in light of the deaths and suspected violations."
He said a joint team from boilers department and factory inspectorate was evaluating technical aspects. "It's premature to assign full blame, but serious questions are being raised," he said.
Experts point fingers at regulatory oversight, calling for accountability from factory inspectors who failed to ensure safe conditions. "Spray dryers fall under pressure vessel regulation. Inspectors must ensure SOPs are followed," a PCB official said. "This is not routine. It's a major industrial accident, and entire inspection framework needs a hard look."
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