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Time of India
07-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Fire dept mulls third-party safety audits in industrial units
1 2 Hyderabad: A third-party audit of industries, particularly pharmaceutical companies, is being planned by Telangana fire department in industrial areas such as Pashamailaram, IDA Bollarum, Nacharam, Jeedimetla and other industrial hubs. Officials said a proposal was already sent to the govt recently, and the audits might begin over the next two months. The move comes following a chemical blast at Sigachi Industries in Pashmailaram, which lacked significant fire safety norms, including the absence of a fire system and emergency exits, among others. Over the past decade, Telangana had witnessed 102 major fire incidents at pharma units, resulting in losses of 100 crore. Fire department director GV Narayana Rao said that while some old industries started complying with norms, several others were running without any compliance. He stressed that fire audit would encourage companies to improve their safety measures and reduce the risk of dangerous accidents. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad "When it comes to fire safety, everyone has this general notion that only fire extinguishers are enough. But pharmaceuticals units house hazardous, inflammable, and highly reactive chemicals and solvents. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Become Fluent in Any Language Talkpal AI Undo In the Sigachi blast also, it was claimed that it was a low hazard factory, but look what happened. The idea is to conduct a fire department as well as a third-party audit to ensure fire-fighting systems are integrated properly. Electrical wiring and equipment maintenance will also be checked," Rao added. Based on hazard levels, National Building Code (NBC) categorises industrial buildings into low, medium, and high hazard structures. These classifications are used to determine appropriate fire safety and other relevant design requirements, including an in-house underground or terrace water storage tank ranging from 20,000 litres to 1.5 lakh litres. Apart from them, automatic sprinkler systems, fire detectors, fire alarm systems, wet risers, and fire hydrants are also mandated. "To monitor and maintain round the clock, companies can use technologies such as internet of things (IoT) devices. But strict safety protocols are required. We have also asked our district fire officers (DFOs) to regularly inspect all the industries," Rao added. Welcoming the decision, city-based infrastructure consultant, SP Anchuri, stressed that there needs to be multi-departmental inspections every two months to mark a clear return to safety-first thinking. "But gaps might still remain as there is no risk-based grading to prioritise the most hazardous units. Moreover, the manpower and implementation capacity need scaling to match inspection frequency. Worker-level feedback and whistleblower protection, which plays a more important role, also need to be considered," he said. Anchuri added that while audits were only the beginning, complete safety lies in integrated design thinking comprising risk awareness. Meanwhile, the fire department officials stressed that once started, industrial units must take proactive responsibility by getting audits done and submitting them online.
ABC News
01-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Death toll rises to 36 as search continues for trapped workers after India factory explosion
At least 36 people have been killed and about three dozen injured after a massive explosion and fire at a pharmaceutical factory in India's southern state of Telangana. The bodies of 34 workers were recovered from the accident site in an industrial area about 50 kilometers from the state capital Hyderabad, the state's fire services director G.V. Narayana Rao said. Another two workers died from their burns in hospital. Mr Rao said on Tuesday the debris of the gutted pharmaceutical unit of Sigachi Industries was still being removed to find out if any more workers were trapped. '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,' he said. Witnesses reported hearing the explosion from a couple of kilometres away from the site. It is not known what caused Monday's explosion in the factory's spray dryer unit — used to process raw material into fine powder for making drugs. Telangana's Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha said a special medical team had been deployed to conduct DNA tests on the badly burned bodies. State Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who visited the site on Tuesday, said there were 143 people at the factory when the explosion happened. "Rescue operations are going on," he said. "We fear that several people might be under the debris, and others might have run away." Mr Reddy's office said a committee was investigating the cause of the explosion. Sigachi Industries said the plant's core manufacturing infrastructure was damaged and facility operations would be halted for 90 days. The company supplies pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics and chemical industries and this factory made components to help make medical pills. Factory owner Sigachi Industries said in a statement: "The incident has unfortunately resulted in the loss of human life." Shares of Sigachi Industries tumbled 8 per cent in intra-day trading Tuesday, extending the previous session's plunge of nearly 10 per cent. 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. -AFP/AP
CNN
01-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
At least 39 killed in fire at Indian pharmaceutical factory
The death toll from the explosion and fire at Sigachi Industries' chemical factory in southern India has risen to at least 39, officials said on Tuesday, forcing the supplier of pharma products to shut operations for 90 days. The government of Telangana state, where the facility is located, has formed a five-member committee to probe the incident, the cause of which is yet to be disclosed by the company. The explosion on Monday also injured 34, according to officials. 'We are still clearing the debris,' GV Narayana Rao, director of the Telangana fire disaster response service, told Reuters, adding that the building had completely collapsed. '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,' Rao said. Police officials said more than 140 people were working in the plant when the incident occurred. Twenty-five of the deceased were yet to be identified, district administrative official P. Pravinya said. 'I came out (of the plant) to use the restroom and heard a loud blast. It sounded like a bomb blast. I came out and saw fire. A part of the fire also spread towards me. I jumped the wall and escaped,' Chandan Gound, 32, who has been working at the factory for six months, told Reuters by phone. 'Many of them (those inside) managed to escape, but a large number were trapped and could not come out,' Gound added. Sigachi, which makes microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), caters to clients in the pharma, food, cosmetic and specialty chemicals sectors in countries ranging from the US to Australia. MCC's compressibility, binding properties, and ability to boost drug release make it a vital ingredient in pharmaceutical manufacturing. It is also used to prevent the formation of lumps in food products, to maintain texture of cosmetic products, and as a fat substitute in low-calorie foods. Sigachi's Telangana plant contributes a little over a fourth of its total capacity of 21,700 million metric tons per annum. Its shares dropped about 8% on Tuesday and were headed for their sharpest two-day drop on record. Sigachi halted operations at the plant for 90 days from Monday citing damage to equipment and structures. The plant is fully insured and the company is initiating claims. In a separate incident on Tuesday, five people were killed and four others injured in a massive fire at a crackers factory in the Sivakasi manufacturing cluster in the southern Tamil Nadu state, a fire department official said. The incident is the latest in a series of fire accidents in the area.
CNN
01-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
At least 39 killed in fire at Indian pharmaceutical factory
The death toll from the explosion and fire at Sigachi Industries' chemical factory in southern India has risen to at least 39, officials said on Tuesday, forcing the supplier of pharma products to shut operations for 90 days. The government of Telangana state, where the facility is located, has formed a five-member committee to probe the incident, the cause of which is yet to be disclosed by the company. The explosion on Monday also injured 34, according to officials. 'We are still clearing the debris,' GV Narayana Rao, director of the Telangana fire disaster response service, told Reuters, adding that the building had completely collapsed. '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,' Rao said. Police officials said more than 140 people were working in the plant when the incident occurred. Twenty-five of the deceased were yet to be identified, district administrative official P. Pravinya said. 'I came out (of the plant) to use the restroom and heard a loud blast. It sounded like a bomb blast. I came out and saw fire. A part of the fire also spread towards me. I jumped the wall and escaped,' Chandan Gound, 32, who has been working at the factory for six months, told Reuters by phone. 'Many of them (those inside) managed to escape, but a large number were trapped and could not come out,' Gound added. Sigachi, which makes microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), caters to clients in the pharma, food, cosmetic and specialty chemicals sectors in countries ranging from the US to Australia. MCC's compressibility, binding properties, and ability to boost drug release make it a vital ingredient in pharmaceutical manufacturing. It is also used to prevent the formation of lumps in food products, to maintain texture of cosmetic products, and as a fat substitute in low-calorie foods. Sigachi's Telangana plant contributes a little over a fourth of its total capacity of 21,700 million metric tons per annum. Its shares dropped about 8% on Tuesday and were headed for their sharpest two-day drop on record. Sigachi halted operations at the plant for 90 days from Monday citing damage to equipment and structures. The plant is fully insured and the company is initiating claims. In a separate incident on Tuesday, five people were killed and four others injured in a massive fire at a crackers factory in the Sivakasi manufacturing cluster in the southern Tamil Nadu state, a fire department official said. The incident is the latest in a series of fire accidents in the area.
CNN
01-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
At least 39 killed in fire at Indian pharmaceutical factory
The death toll from the explosion and fire at Sigachi Industries' chemical factory in southern India has risen to at least 39, officials said on Tuesday, forcing the supplier of pharma products to shut operations for 90 days. The government of Telangana state, where the facility is located, has formed a five-member committee to probe the incident, the cause of which is yet to be disclosed by the company. The explosion on Monday also injured 34, according to officials. 'We are still clearing the debris,' GV Narayana Rao, director of the Telangana fire disaster response service, told Reuters, adding that the building had completely collapsed. '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,' Rao said. Police officials said more than 140 people were working in the plant when the incident occurred. Twenty-five of the deceased were yet to be identified, district administrative official P. Pravinya said. 'I came out (of the plant) to use the restroom and heard a loud blast. It sounded like a bomb blast. I came out and saw fire. A part of the fire also spread towards me. I jumped the wall and escaped,' Chandan Gound, 32, who has been working at the factory for six months, told Reuters by phone. 'Many of them (those inside) managed to escape, but a large number were trapped and could not come out,' Gound added. Sigachi, which makes microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), caters to clients in the pharma, food, cosmetic and specialty chemicals sectors in countries ranging from the US to Australia. MCC's compressibility, binding properties, and ability to boost drug release make it a vital ingredient in pharmaceutical manufacturing. It is also used to prevent the formation of lumps in food products, to maintain texture of cosmetic products, and as a fat substitute in low-calorie foods. Sigachi's Telangana plant contributes a little over a fourth of its total capacity of 21,700 million metric tons per annum. Its shares dropped about 8% on Tuesday and were headed for their sharpest two-day drop on record. Sigachi halted operations at the plant for 90 days from Monday citing damage to equipment and structures. The plant is fully insured and the company is initiating claims. In a separate incident on Tuesday, five people were killed and four others injured in a massive fire at a crackers factory in the Sivakasi manufacturing cluster in the southern Tamil Nadu state, a fire department official said. The incident is the latest in a series of fire accidents in the area.
