Telangana chemical plant blast: Death toll rises to 35, bodies pulled out from debris

At least 35 people have lost their lives in a devastating explosion at Sigachi Industries’ chemical plant in the Pashamylaram industrial area of Sangareddy district. The powerful blast, which occurred between 8:15 am and 9:35 am on Monday, ripped through the factory complex, triggering a massive fire and large-scale structural collapse that has left dozens injured and missing.

The explosion — reportedly originating from a reactor unit — prompted a swift emergency response. Fire and police departments, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDF), and two fire-fighting robots have been deployed to aid ongoing rescue and recovery operations, which extended into Tuesday.

“An explosion was reported at Sigachi Pharma’s unit around 8:15–9:35 am. We responded immediately,” said V Satyanarayana, Inspector General, Multi Zone II. “Six bodies were recovered from the factory site, and two others died during treatment. The final death toll has now risen as more bodies were pulled from the debris.”

Initially, health officials had confirmed 12 fatalities and over 30 injured, but the toll rapidly escalated as severely injured workers succumbed to their burns and trauma in hospitals and bodies were retrieved from the wreckage.

The Telangana Fire Department said the alert was received at 9:37 am, and 11 fire tenders were dispatched from stations including Patancheru, Sangareddy, Kukatpally, Madhapur, Jeedimetla, and Rajendranagar to douse the flames.

The plant employed approximately 150 workers, with about 90 believed to be in the affected area when the explosion took place. Visuals from the site show mangled steel, collapsed walls, and scorched equipment — stark evidence of the intensity of the blast.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed deep condolences and directed officials to prioritize the rescue of any remaining trapped workers and ensure top-tier medical care for the injured.

The tragedy has sparked a political storm, with the opposition BJP demanding a high-level probe into possible safety lapses. “How did such a catastrophic explosion happen in an operational unit? Were safety checks ignored?” asked BJP MLA Payal Shankar. “Had this occurred in a densely populated zone, the disaster could have been apocalyptic.”

Monday’s deadly blast is the latest in a troubling string of industrial accidents in the Sangareddy-Pashamylaram corridor — an area dotted with pharmaceutical and chemical units. Prior incidents include a 2023 pharma blast that killed three and another that claimed six lives while injuring 14.