At least 36 killed in India after explosion at a pharmaceutical factory
The fire department recovered the charred bodies of 34 workers from the accident site in an industrial area about 31 miles from the state capital, Hyderabad, the state's fire services director G.V. Narayana Rao told The Associated Press.
Two other workers succumbed to burns and were pronounced dead in hospital, Rao said, adding that debris of the gutted pharmaceutical unit of Sigachi Industries was still being removed to find out if any more workers were trapped.
Nearly three dozen injured workers were admitted to hospitals after Monday's blast, he said.
'The whole structure of the factory has collapsed. Fire has been doused, and we hope to finish removing the debris in the next few hours,' Rao said.
Sigachi Industries did not disclose what led to the explosion and fire, but said the plant's core manufacturing infrastructure was damaged and facility operations would be halted for 90 days. The plant produces microcrystalline cellulose, a chemical compound commonly used in making drugs, the company said.
The explosion and subsequent fire was reported on Monday in the factory's spray dryer unit, which is used to process raw material into fine powder for making drugs, Rao said.
The state's Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha said there were 108 workers inside the factory at the time of the explosion.
'As bodies were badly burnt and mutilated, a special medical team has been deployed to conduct DNA tests', said Narasimha, adding the state government has set up a panel to investigate the cause of the incident.
Witnesses said they heard the explosion from a couple of kilometers away from the site.
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.
Sigachi Industries Limited is an Indian company dealing with active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates and vitamin-mineral blends, according to the company's website. It has five manufacturing facilities across India and subsidiaries in the U.S and the United Arab Emirates.
Shares of Sigachi Industries tumbled 8% in intra-day trading Tuesday, extending the previous session's plunge of nearly 10%.
In a disclosure to the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday, the company called the incident 'unfortunate' and announced that a thorough site assessment was underway. The factory where the fire occurred contributes a little more than a fourth of the company's annual capacity.
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NBC News
3 days ago
- NBC News
At least 36 killed in India after explosion at a pharmaceutical factory
The death toll from a massive explosion and fire at a pharmaceutical factory in India 's southern state of Telangana has risen to at least 36 while about three dozen were left injured, authorities said Tuesday. The fire department recovered the charred bodies of 34 workers from the accident site in an industrial area about 31 miles from the state capital, Hyderabad, the state's fire services director G.V. Narayana Rao told The Associated Press. Two other workers succumbed to burns and were pronounced dead in hospital, Rao said, adding that debris of the gutted pharmaceutical unit of Sigachi Industries was still being removed to find out if any more workers were trapped. Nearly three dozen injured workers were admitted to hospitals after Monday's blast, he said. 'The whole structure of the factory has collapsed. Fire has been doused, and we hope to finish removing the debris in the next few hours,' Rao said. Sigachi Industries did not disclose what led to the explosion and fire, but said the plant's core manufacturing infrastructure was damaged and facility operations would be halted for 90 days. The plant produces microcrystalline cellulose, a chemical compound commonly used in making drugs, the company said. The explosion and subsequent fire was reported on Monday in the factory's spray dryer unit, which is used to process raw material into fine powder for making drugs, Rao said. The state's Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha said there were 108 workers inside the factory at the time of the explosion. 'As bodies were badly burnt and mutilated, a special medical team has been deployed to conduct DNA tests', said Narasimha, adding the state government has set up a panel to investigate the cause of the incident. Witnesses said they heard the explosion from a couple of kilometers away from the site. 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. Sigachi Industries Limited is an Indian company dealing with active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates and vitamin-mineral blends, according to the company's website. It has five manufacturing facilities across India and subsidiaries in the U.S and the United Arab Emirates. Shares of Sigachi Industries tumbled 8% in intra-day trading Tuesday, extending the previous session's plunge of nearly 10%. In a disclosure to the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday, the company called the incident 'unfortunate' and announced that a thorough site assessment was underway. The factory where the fire occurred contributes a little more than a fourth of the company's annual capacity.
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
At least 36 dead after chemical reactor explodes in drug factory in India
At least 36 people were killed and 36 others injured in a fire triggered by a massive explosion at a chemical facility in India 's southern state of Telangana on Monday, fire department officials said. The blaze ripped through the Sigachi Chemicals factory in Sangareddy district at 9am following a blast in the spray dryer unit used to process raw material into fine powder for making drugs at the factory. More than 100 people were believed to be inside the factory when the explosion occurred and several were trapped inside. The fire department, which is working round the clock at the site, has recovered 34 charred bodies of the workers from the industrial site, about 50km from the state capital, Hyderabad, the state's fire services director G V Narayana Rao, said Two others succumbed to burn injuries at the hospital. The fire has been controlled but the building collapsed, he said. "We are still clearing the debris ... The building has collapsed and fabricated completely," Mr Rao, director of Telangana fire disaster response emergency, told Reuters. "Once we are all done with the clearing, only then we will be able to assess if any other body is still remaining under the debris or if it is all clear," he said. The fire department said debris of the gutted pharmaceutical unit of Sigachi Industries was still being removed to find out if any more workers were trapped inside. The state's health minister, Damodar Raja Narasimha, said there were 108 workers inside the factory at the time of the explosion. 'As bodies were badly burnt and mutilated, a special medical team has been deployed to conduct DNA tests', said Mr Narasimha. The state government has set up a panel to investigate the cause of the incident, he said. Industrial accidents involving fire and explosion at factories are not uncommon in India, where hundreds of workers often toil in poorly regulated, overcrowded facilities with inadequate safety measures. In March last year, a massive explosion at a licensed firecracker unit killed 11 people, including women, in Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu. The factory was allegedly storing large quantities of raw explosives in unsafe conditions. Six months later, a fire broke out at pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Andhra Pradesh, killing 17 people and injuring 40. India has been hailed as the ' pharmacy of the world ' as it remains 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. Sigachi Industries Limited is a prominent Indian manufacturer and exporter of pharmaceutical excipients, notably active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates and vitamin-mineral blends, according to the company's website. It has five manufacturing facilities across India and subsidiaries in the US and the United Arab Emirates.
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The life-changing impact of preventable diseases in the anti-vaccination era
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Today, Jacque lives in an adult residential home and gets together with Janith four or five days a week. Janith marvels at Jacque's sense of humor and affectionate nature despite all she's endured. Jacque is generous with kisses and often signs 'double I love yous,' even to new people she meets. Given what her family has been through, Janith finds it 'more than frustrating' when people choose not to get children the MMR shot against measles, mumps and rubella. 'I know what can happen,' she said. 'I just don't want anybody else to go through this.' Delaying a vaccine can be deadly More than half a century has passed, but Patricia Tobin still vividly recalls seeing her little sister Karen unconscious on the bathroom floor. It was 1970, Karen was 6, and she had measles. The vaccine against it wasn't required for school in Miami where they lived. Though Karen's doctor discussed immunizing the first grader, their mother didn't share his sense of urgency. 'It's not that she was against it,' Tobin said. 'She just thought there was time.' Then came a measles outbreak. After she collapsed in the bathroom, Karen never regained consciousness. She died of encephalitis. 'We never did get to speak to her again,' Tobin said. Today, all states require that children get certain vaccines to attend school. But a growing number of people are making use of exemptions. Vanderbilt's Schaffner said fading memories of measles outbreaks were exacerbated by a fraudulent, retracted study claiming a link between the MMR shot and autism. The result? Most states are below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners — the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks. Preventable diseases can have long-term effects One of Lora Duguay's earliest memories is lying in a hospital isolation ward with her feverish, paralyzed body packed in ice. She was three years old. It was 1959 and Duguay, of Clearwater, Florida, had polio. It was one of the most feared diseases in the U.S., experts say, causing some terrified parents to keep children inside and avoid crowds during epidemics. Given polio's visibility, the vaccine against it was widely and enthusiastically welcomed. Given polio's visibility, the vaccine against it was widely and enthusiastically welcomed. But the early vaccine that Duguay got was only about 80% to 90% effective. Not enough people were vaccinated or protected yet to stop the virus from spreading. Though treatment helped her walk again, she eventually developed post-polio syndrome, a neuromuscular disorder that worsens over time. She now gets around in a wheelchair. The disease that changed her life twice is no longer a problem in the U.S. So many children get the vaccine — which is far more effective than earlier versions — that it doesn't just protect individuals but it prevents occasional cases that arrive in the U.S. from spreading further and protects the vulnerable. 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