Telangana Pharma Plant Blast Kills 12, Injures 34; PM Announces Ex-Gratia for Victims

Hyderabad, June 30 — At least 12 people were killed and 34 others injured in an explosion at a pharmaceutical plant in Telangana’s Sangareddy district on Monday, state health minister Damodara Raja Narasimha confirmed.

“As many as 12 people died and 34 are under treatment,” the minister told reporters after visiting the site.

Labour Minister G Vivek Venkatswamy, who also inspected the scene, said: “Eight people died in the morning. Now, four more bodies have been found.”

The explosion occurred at a reactor in the Sigachi Industries Limited plant located in the Pashamylaram industrial estate. Authorities suspect a chemical reaction triggered the blast, which led to a major fire.

Inspector General of Police (Multizone) V Satyanarayana said, citing factory sources, that around 150 workers were present in the plant at the time of the explosion, with about 90 in the specific area where the blast took place.

He noted that the explosion occurred between 9.28 am and 9.35 am. The factory management quickly alerted local police, who then called in the fire department. Approximately 10 fire engines were deployed to the site, alongside National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams engaged in rescue operations.

“The fire has been brought under control,” Satyanarayana said.

Efforts were underway to confirm the exact number of workers present during the incident, as the official responsible for maintaining worker records is believed to have died in the blast.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, extending condolences to the families who lost loved ones and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. In a post on ‘X’, he announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of the deceased, and ₹50,000 for those injured.

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy also conveyed anguish over the incident and instructed officials to ensure trapped workers were rescued and provided advanced medical care, according to an official release.

Sigachi Industries Limited, as per its website, is a pharmaceutical company engaged in manufacturing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), intermediates, excipients, vitamin-mineral blends, and operations and management services.

There was no immediate statement from the company regarding the explosion.