12 killed, several injured in blast at Telangana pharmaceutical factory

AT to the lowest degree 12 persons were killed, 10 others ar battling for life-time in a vital shape and another 34 other workers sustained serious injuries in a major explosion at a pharmaceutical industrial unit in the Pashamylaram industrial estate of Telangana’s Sangareddy district on Monday morning, officials said.The incident took place at the production unit of Sigachi Industries Ltd, a leading manufacturer of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and other pharma excipients, food ingredients and cosmetic products. The incident happened at approximately 9. 20 am in the vicinity of our Hyderabad plant located at Pashamylaram, Phase-1,” the company said in a statement.State health minister Damodar Rajanarasimha, who rushed to the spot along with labour minister G Vivek and top officials to oversee rescue operations, told reporters later that the rescue teams had recovered 10 bodies, while two other workers succumbed to injuries at hospital.He said another 34 persons were undergoing treatment at various private hospitals in Patancheru, Isnapur and Chandanagar and the condition of at least 10 of them was critical. “A total of 90 employees were reportedly on duty at the time of the incident,” 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 they fell down about 100 metres away,” he said, quoting the workers.The building housing the reactor also collapsed, while an adjacent structure was partially damaged. “Almost all the workers rushed out of the unit, but some workers are still feared to be trapped inside the facility,” he said.The rescue operations continued till evening, amid fears that more employees remained trapped under the debris. Director General of the Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services, Y Nagi Reddy said that the removal of debris was still ongoing at the blast site, and the search is on for any people trapped in the collapsed three-storey building."Industrial experts are saying that during the drying process, or a handling process, the pressure could have built up, followed by the blasting of the material, which led to the blasting of the entire handling unit as well as the industrial building,” Reddy told reporters.Labour Minister Gaddam Vivek said 12 of the injured were in the ICU and on ventilator support, having sustained 70 to 80 per cent burn injuries. He said everything in the industry had been gutted, including records of staff.Officials have been directed to conduct a detailed inquiry to determine the cause of the explosion, he added.On receiving the information, the Patancheru police along with as many as 11 fire tenders rushed to the spot to extinguish the fire and take up rescue operations.Sangareddy district collector P Pravinya and Superintendent of Police Paritosh Pankaj visited the site and supervised the rescue operations with the help of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Safety Services, and the Hyderabad Disaster Management and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA).Sigachi Industries, in a regulatory filing before the stock exchange in the evening said the production at its Hyderabad plant was paused for 90 days in the wake of the tragic mishap, to restore affected equipment and structures.“In addition to the human losses, the incident also caused damage to certain ancillary equipment and civil structures within the facility,” it said in a regulatory filing. “While the exact number of injured is currently being confirmed, the well-being of our personnel remains our foremost priority,” the company said.It said a thorough on-ground assessment of the situation was currently in progress, and the company was coordinating with relevant authorities to ensure all safety and support protocols are followed.The company operates three manufacturing facilities for Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC), one of which is the Hyderabad unit where the incident occurred. The unit contributes around 6,000 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) out of the total operating capacity of 21,700 MTPA, with the balance production coming from our other two facilities located in Gujarat, it added.The explosion has triggered widespread panic among local residents and factory workers, as thick smoke spread throughout the premises, causing breathing difficulties to the people. Authorities are evacuating people from the surrounding area as a precautionary measure.Patancheru tehsildar (revenue officer) said many of the bodies were charred beyond recognition and only three bodies could be identified. “At least half a dozen bodies should undergo DNA profiling to establish the identity of the victims who died in the blast,” he said.Meanwhile, tension prevailed near the Sigachi Industries plant at Pashamylaram, as family members of the workers tried to enter the plant premises to know the condition of the trapped.“Soon after coming to know about the incident, I tried to reach out to my husband, who went to the factory in the first shift. But there has been no response from him to my phone call, as his mobile remains switched off,” a wailing woman of a worker, told reporters.The relatives expressed anguish, demanding information about their loved ones. The police had a tough time in controlling the family members who were hell bent on entering the premises. This led to a scuffle between the families and the police, for some time.PM, CM CONDOLE THE DEATHSPrime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the death of the workers in the Pashamylaram factory and announced ex gratia to the families of the victims.The Prime Minister tweeted: “Anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire tragedy at a factory in Sangareddy, Telangana. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM @narendramodi.”Telangana governor Jishnu Dev Varma expressed profound grief over the tragic explosion that occurred at the Pashamylaram industrial area and conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy also expressed shock over the death of around 12 workers in the Pashamylaram incident. He said the government would stand by the families of the victims and directed that the authorities extend the best medical care to the injured.