Devastating Blast Rocks Hyderabad Chemical Plant: 15 Dead, Dozens Injured in Tragic Accident

A powerful explosion ripped through a multi-story chemical plant near Hyderabad on Monday morning, claiming the lives of at least 15 workers and leaving 35 others injured, with a dozen in critical condition. The incident, which occurred at the Sigachi Industries facility in Pashamylaram village, Telangana's Medak district, has left a community in shock and authorities scrambling for answers.

The death toll is feared to rise as rescue teams continue to search through the rubble for workers believed to be trapped beneath the collapsed structure. The victims hail from various states across India, including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, highlighting the widespread impact of this tragedy.

The blast occurred around 9:20 AM, just as over 60 workers had reported for duty at the Rs 500-crore Sigachi Industries plant. Initial investigations point to a dryer malfunction in the quality control unit as the likely trigger for the explosion, which reduced a significant portion of the building to rubble. The intensity of the blast was so severe that an adjacent HR block and a rear compound wall sustained partial damage. Workers were tragically crushed by falling debris, while others suffered horrific burns as flames rapidly engulfed the area.

Complicating rescue efforts is the difficulty in ascertaining the exact number of individuals present in the building at the time of the explosion. "V-P (operations) M E Elanghovan, in charge of attendance, is missing. This makes it difficult to determine who was in the building," a fire official reported. Elanghovan himself narrowly escaped serious injury, having just stepped out of his car when the explosion struck the factory, located approximately 50 kilometers from Hyderabad.

The gruesome nature of the incident has made identification of the deceased incredibly challenging, with many bodies burned beyond recognition. As of late Monday, only four victims had been positively identified.

A Nation Mourns, Families Desperate for Answers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deepest condolences to the victims' families and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Search and rescue operations, supported by fire services and disaster response units, are ongoing and expected to continue through Tuesday. "We have stationed two robots along with SDRF personnel and rescue teams," a senior fire official stated, adding that "Aerial lighting systems have been installed to support night-time rescue operations."

Outside hospitals and at the blast site, distraught relatives waited anxiously, clinging to hope for news of their loved ones. The lack of clear information from the company management regarding the number of workers inside the facility has significantly hampered rescue efforts. "More could be trapped under the debris. Only once the rubble is cleared will we have a clear picture," said G V Narayana Rao, Director of Fire Services.

Heartbreaking stories are emerging from families desperate for any news. Ajal Mondal, a 19-year-old from Kolkata who had only been working at the plant for two months, remains missing. His uncle, struggling to cope with the uncertainty, shared, "We haven't told his family back home yet. They'll panic if we do." Shubham Chaudhary is desperately searching for his 55-year-old uncle, Munnilal, after seeing burnt bodies outside the factory gates. Pinky, 21, is equally distraught, as her 19-year-old brother, Siddhant Gonda, who started in the quality control unit just three months ago, is also unaccounted for. The family of senior manager S Ravi, 41, last spoke to him minutes before the blast and has been fruitlessly checking hospitals for any sign of him. Pooja is searching for three missing family members: her uncle Dileep Gosai, 45, brother Deepak Parsvan, 25, and cousin Naga Parsvan, 22. "Only one of our family got out alive," she lamented.

Investigation Underway as State Leadership Responds

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is scheduled to visit the hospital and meet with victims' families on Tuesday. He has directed the health minister, chief secretary, and DGP to oversee rescue and relief efforts. A five-member committee has been formed to thoroughly investigate the cause of the explosion and recommend preventive measures to avoid such tragedies in the future.

Sigachi Industries, a manufacturer of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), acknowledged an "accident in the vicinity" of its Medak district plant in a statement to stock exchanges. The company confirmed that the facility is fully insured and it will be filing the necessary claims.