Sangareddy: The death toll from the devastating explosion at Sigachi Chloro Chemical Private Limited in Pashamylaram has risen sharply to 37, with the fear that the number could increase further as rescue operations remain in progress. The explosion, which occurred on Monday, initially claimed 12 lives, but the toll surged overnight as National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), HYDRAA, and Telangana Fire Disaster Response teams worked through the night.
Emergency services are continuing to search for survivors, with many employees and families fearing that more people are still trapped under the collapsed structure of the factory. The explosion reportedly caused the building to cave in, catching many inside or nearby off guard as they searched for missing loved ones.
So far, 35 individuals are being treated at various hospitals. Of them, at least 10 are said to be in critical condition. This incident is being described as possibly the most severe industrial disaster in the history of Telangana. The scale of destruction and the rising number of casualties have raised serious concerns about safety protocols at the facility.
Bodies recovered from the site have been transported to the government hospital in Patancheru for postmortem. From there, the state government has arranged ambulances to return the deceased to their respective hometowns.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is scheduled to visit the site on Tuesday morning to assess the situation firsthand and review the rescue operations.
The explosion, believed to have originated from a reactor inside the chemical plant, triggered a massive fire and widespread structural damage.
State Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha briefed the media, saying that approximately 90 employees were present at the time of the incident. “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, citing accounts from workers.
While the exact cause of the blast remains under investigation, preliminary reports suggest a chemical reaction may have been responsible.
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