&w=3840&q=100)
Telangana pharma factory blast: What caused the explosion that killed 42 people?
The blast, which triggered the collapse of a three-storey building at Sigachi Industries Limited in the Pashamylaram industrial area, has become one of the worst industrial accidents the state has seen in recent years. PTI
A powerful explosion tore through a pharmaceutical factory in Telangana's Sangareddy district on Monday morning, leaving at least 42 people dead and many others injured.
The blast, which triggered the collapse of a three-storey building at Sigachi Industries Limited in the Pashamylaram industrial area, around 50 km from Hyderabad, has become one of the worst industrial accidents the state has seen in recent years.
Rescue teams are still combing through the debris, and officials fear the death toll may rise further as more bodies are recovered from the rubble.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
As the investigation begins, the Telangana government has appointed a committee to look into what caused the deadly blast and whether safety lapses were involved.
Here's what we know so far.
What triggered the deadly blast at the Telangana chemical factory?
Preliminary investigations suggest that a sudden pressure build-up inside a spray-drying unit may have caused the massive explosion at the Sigachi Industries factory.
Y Nagi Reddy, Director General of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), told The News Minute that the blast occurred in the factory's Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) drying unit.
MCC is a refined, partially broken-down form of cellulose derived from fibrous plant material like wood pulp. It's widely used in the pharmaceutical industry as a key excipient in tablets and supplements. It also finds use as a bulking agent in food production.
The spray dryer, where the explosion reportedly happened, is a machine that converts a liquid or slurry into a dry powder by spraying it into a stream of hot gas. Since this process generates extremely high temperatures, a blow air handler is used to control the heat and airflow within the system.
The impact was so severe that the entire three-storey building came crashing down in seconds.
Telangana chemical factory blast: An injured being taken for treatment after an explosion at a pharma plant, at Pashamylaram. PTI
Sigachi Industries Ltd (SIL), one of the world's largest manufacturers of Microcrystalline Cellulose, operates three facilities across Telangana and Gujarat. The Pashamylaram unit, where the explosion occurred, has been operational for nearly 40 years. Spread over four acres, it houses four separate production blocks.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
However, experts believe the blow air handler may not have been properly cleaned or maintained, leading to a dangerous rise in temperature. According to a report by IANS, officials say this overheating may have pushed temperatures as high as 700 to 800 degrees Celsius, far beyond safe limits, causing the explosion.
This tragedy is not isolated.
In the past 30 months, Telangana has seen at least 10 major blasts in industrial areas like Pashamylaram and Patancheru. Poor maintenance and a shortage of skilled operators are said to be the underlying reasons.
In December, this very Sigachi plant cleared a safety check by the factory's department. But after Monday's blast, it has been shut down indefinitely.
'Blast so intense, workers fell down 100 m away'
Eyewitnesses described the sheer force of the explosion as terrifying. Many workers were thrown off their feet, some hurled far from the blast site.
'Workers were tossed into the air and thrown several metres away,' people at the scene told South First. On Monday, Telangana Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha said around 90 workers were inside the unit when the explosion took place.
Quoting survivors, he said, 'The explosion blew up the industrial shed completely, and the force of the blast was so intense that some of the workers were thrown up in the air and landed about 100 metres away.'
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
VIDEO | Telangana: A massive explosion at Sigachi Chemical Industry in Pashamilaram, Sangareddy district, has resulted in several deaths and serious injuries. The blast threw workers up to 100 meters away, trapping many in nearby tents as fires continued to rage. Firefighters are… pic.twitter.com/eLtDX0bY4Y — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 30, 2025
Hospitals in the area were quickly overwhelmed. A senior official at Pranaam Hospitals in Miyapur confirmed they had received 21 patients on Monday. Most had severe burns and head injuries. 'Two were declared brought dead, and one more succumbed this morning,' the official said.
Dhruva Hospitals in Patancheru also received 11 patients. Of the nine currently admitted, five are on ventilator support. 'We have seven patients with burns ranging from 40 to 80 per cent, and two others with 10 per cent burns,' a hospital official told PTI. Two of the most critical cases have been referred to super-speciality hospitals for advanced care.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Rescue operations were continuing at the site, led by teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), HYDRAA, and the Telangana Fire and Disaster Response Department. PTI
The intensity of the blast left some bodies badly mutilated or burned beyond recognition. Authorities have now begun conducting DNA tests to help identify the deceased.
As of Tuesday, rescue operations were continuing at the site, led by teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), HYDRAA, and the Telangana Fire and Disaster Response Department.
PM Modi announces ex gratia, probe ordered
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss. He announced Rs 2 lakh for the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
Union Minister and Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy said, 'NDRF, Police and other agencies are engaged in relief operations…Central financial assistance of Rs 2 lakhs each will be given to families of the deceased persons and Rs 50,000 to the injured.'
He added, 'The BJP never does politics on such issues. We will fully cooperate in relief activities…The state government should take all steps to prevent such accidents.'
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed deep sorrow over the latest incident and directed authorities to 'take all necessary steps to rescue any workers still trapped.'
The state government has constituted a five-member committee to investigate the cause of the explosion and recommend safety measures.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
With input from agencies
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
U'khand govt makes it mandatory for eateries on Kanwar Yatra route to display food licenses
Small traders and cart-stall owners will also have to keep and display their registration certificates with them. Owners of hotels, dhabas, eateries on carts and stalls along the pilgrimage route will have to display a clean copy of their license or registration certificate at a prominent place in his establishment so that consumers can easily see it, Health Secretary and Commissioner Food Safety and Drug Administration R Rajesh Kumar said. Dehradun, Jul 1 (PTI) The Uttarakhand government has made it mandatory for eataries on the Kanwar Yatra route in the state to prominently display their food licenses or registration certificates at their business establishments. 'Food Safety Display Board' should also be installed in hotels, eateries, dhabas and restaurants at a clearly visible place, so that the customer can know who is responsible for the quality of food. Action will be taken against businessmen who do not follow these instructions under Section 55 of the Food Safety Act 2006, in which a fine of up to Rs 2 lakh can be imposed, the official said. All officials concerned should ensure that these orders are strictly followed, Kumar said. There will be no compromise with the quality of food served to devotees at pandals and community kitchens or bhandaras, he said. 'Immediate legal action will be taken against adulterators and those who tamper with the standards. The health of the pilgrims is our top priority,' he said. Special teams of food safety officers have been deployed in Haridwar, Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri and Uttarkashi districts who will regularly take samples of milk, sweets, oil, spices, beverages etc. from the pandals and send them to laboratories for testing. If any sample does not meet the standards, the concerned place will be closed immediately, Additional Commissioner Food Safety and Drug Administration Tajbar Singh Jaggi said. PTI ALM NB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Costly lapses: on the Hyderabad pharma unit blast
Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) is chemically inert. The human body does not absorb it. The skin does not react to it. But it has several useful physical properties such as being a binder and texturiser, which is why it has varied applications in the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics and other industries. MCC can add weight to a drug and facilitate the active ingredients to function effectively while making the drug conform to weight specifications. On Monday, however, the pharma unit of Sigachi Industries in Hyderabad, which makes this benign substance, was the scene of a lethal accident, with the toll rising to 36 on Tuesday. The making of this safe substance does involve risky processes, which can, however, be safe if appropriate procedures are followed by trained personnel. Most of the dead are young, poor, migrant workers from northern and eastern India who often lack social support. The Telangana government has announced an ex gratia of ₹1 crore and efforts must be made to ensure it reaches the families. It does seem that the response of mitigation agencies was timely and is ongoing. The blast, however, puts the spotlight back on the pharma manufacturing industry, which has been a foreign exchange earner for India. Such accidents have been frequent, sadly. In August last year, there was a major accident at a pharma unit in Anakapalli near Visakhapatnam. Months earlier, in April, there was another accident in Hyderabad. Officials suspect that Monday's accident happened due to equipment malfunction, likely due to poor maintenance. It could have led to an abnormal build-up of temperature, leading to the blast. Key aspects of operating such hazardous units safely are that HAZOP, or a form of process hazard analysis, should be carried out by competent and knowledgeable staff. The data that individual units generate, that would indicate any abnormality, should be seamlessly integrated into operation control, again manned by competent staff. Operators should be trained, constantly aware of safety issues and implement steps that can ensure safety. While these are recommended practices, what is crucial is that such plants should have a high level of safety culture. Operators, managers and workers should be conscious of the ever-present risks. In this era of heightened scrutiny of industrial accidents by proactive media, manufacturing units are expected to conform to global norms especially regarding safety. Major slip-ups, such as this accident in Hyderabad, are likely to have a negative bearing on this key source of trade for India.
The Print
10 hours ago
- The Print
Maharashtra logs 16 fresh COVID-19 cases, no fatality
Mumbai, Jul 1 (PTI) Maharashtra recorded 16 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, taking the state's overall tally of infections so far to 2,517, the health department said. No COVID-19-linked fatality has been reported since Monday. A total of 38 patients have succumbed to the viral infection since January 1, of whom 37 had comorbidities (pre-existing health conditions that can increase the risk of severe illness), an official statement said.
