Telangana factory blast: 2 more bodies found on unit’s 1st floor; debris shifted to adjacent plot to search for remains; Sigachi announces Rs 1 crore ex-gratia

HYDERABAD : The death toll in the Sigachi Industries blast rose to 38 on Wednesday, with the disaster response teams retrieving two more bodies from the first floor of the production area which was partially damaged in the accident. As many as 35 bodies that were found previously in the rubble were believed to be from the factory’s ground floor. One person had died during treatment on Tuesday.Sources said that the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams had all but abandoned hope of finding more bodies in the rubble by noon on Tuesday, but they unexpectedly discovered the two bodies while conducting a routine check of the damaged first-floor slab.Of the 38 people killed in blast that took place on Monday morning, 37 had died on the spot and one person succumbed to his injuries at a hospital. Among the injured, one person is undergoing a craniotomy, a surgical procedure involving removing a part of the skull to reach the brain. Since Tuesday, authorities have identified 18 bodies and handed 13 of these over to families.Official records show that of 143 workers, 10 to 11 workers remain unaccounted for. The 34 injured persons are undergoing treatment at six hospitals. Post-mortem examination has been conducted on all deceased and DNA samples have been collected from 23 relatives. “Our teams are examining rubble. If no bodies are located by Thursday, operation will be stopped. The likelihood of finding more bodies in debris appears minimal,” said Y Nagi Reddy, director general of fire services and SDRF.