HYDERABAD: A powerful explosion tore through a multi-storey chemical plant building at Pashamylaram village in Telangana's Medak district Monday morning, killing at least 15 workers and injuring 35 others - 12 critically. Authorities said the toll may rise as several workers are believed to be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
The workers are from Telangana, Andhra, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, UP and Bengal.
Over 60 workers had reported for duty around 9.20am when the explosion reduced a building to rubble at the Rs 500-crore Sigachi Industries facility. Initial findings suggest a dryer malfunction in the quality control unit triggered the blast. "V-P (ops) M E Elanghovan, in charge of attendance, is missing. This makes it difficult to determine who was in the building," a fire official said.
Telangana blast burnt victims badly, only 4 identified so farVice president, operations, M E Elanghovan had just stepped out of his car when the explosion struck the factory, about 50km from Hyderabad.
An adjacent HR block and a rear compound wall were partially damaged. Chunks of cement crushed some workers, while others suffered fatal burns as flames spread rapidly after the blast. Many bodies were burnt beyond recognition. Only four bodies have been identified till late Monday.
PM Narendra Modi expressed condolences and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
Search teams supported by fire services and disaster response units plan to continue search efforts through Tuesday. "We have stationed two robots along with SDRF personnel and rescue teams," a senior fire official said. "Aerial lighting systems have been installed to support night-time rescue operations."
Distraught relatives waited outside hospitals and at the blast site, hoping for news as authorities struggled to trace missing workers. "Lack of accurate information from the company management on how many workers were inside has complicated rescue efforts," director of fire services G V Narayana Rao said. "More could be trapped under the debris. Only once the rubble is cleared will we have a clear picture."
Many relatives had not heard from loved ones since the explosion. "My nephew Ajal Mondal is just 19 and came here two months ago from Kolkata," said his uncle. "We haven't told his family back home yet. They'll panic if we do."
Shubham Chaudhary, searching for his uncle Munnilal, 55, said he saw burnt bodies outside the factory but had no word on his uncle. Pinky, 21, said her brother Siddhant Gonda, 19, started work in quality control unit just three months ago. He remains missing.
The family of senior manager S Ravi, 41, said they last spoke to him around 9am, minutes before the blast. "We checked every hospital but have no idea where he is," a relative said.
Pooja searched for three family members - her uncle Dileep Gosai, 45, brother Deepak Parsvan, 25, and cousin Naga Parsvan, 22 - missing since morning. "Only one of our family got out alive," she said.
Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy will visit the hospital and meet victims' families Tuesday. He directed the health minister, chief secretary and DGP to oversee rescue and relief efforts. A five-member committee was formed to investigate the cause of the explosion and recommend preventive measures.
Sigachi Industries, which manufactures microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), informed stock exchanges about an "accident in the vicinity" of its plant in Medak district. The company said the facility is fully insured and it will file necessary claims.