Telangana pharma plant explosion: 12 killed, 34 injured, says state Minister
Sangareddy (Telangana), Jun 30 (PTI): At least 12 people died and 34 persons were injured in a pharma plant explosion in this district on Monday, Telangana Minister Damodara Raja Narasimha said.
"As many as 12 people died and 34 people are under treatment. We are hopeful that there would be no more (deaths)," the health minister told reporters.
Labour Minister G Vivek Venkatswamy said: "Eight people died in the morning. Now, four bodies were found."
Both the ministers visited the site.
The explosion took place at a reactor in the plant of Sigachi pharma company in the Pashamylaram industrial estate due to the suspected chemical reaction where fire also broke out.
Earlier, Inspector General of Police (Multizone) V Satyanarayana, quoting factory sources, said there were 150 people in the factory at the time of the blast. Ninety persons were in the same area where the explosion occurred.
He said the explosion occurred between 9.28 am and 9.35 am. The management immediately reached out to the local police who in turn alerted the fire department.
About ten fire fighting engines were pressed into service, he further said, adding the personnel of NDRF and SDRF were also engaged in the rescue operation.
The fire was brought under control, he added.
Asked how many workers were working at the time of the tragedy, he said effort was on to ascertain the exact figure as the person who maintains record of the workers' details is believed to have died.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the fire tragedy and conveyed condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the incident. He wished an early recovery to the injured.
In a post on 'X', he announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed anguish over the incident and directed officials to take all steps to save the trapped workers and provide them advanced medical care, an official release said.
Sigachi Industries Limited is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to pioneering advancements in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), Intermediates, Excipients, vitamin-mineral blends, and Operations and Management (O&M) services, according to the company's website.
There was no immediate reaction from the company.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
3 DRG personnel killed, 1 injured as IED goes off during demining operation in Chhattisgarh
Kanker (PTI): Three personnel of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), including an inspector, were killed and another jawan was injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) went off while they were trying to neutralise it in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh on Saturday, police said.
This was the first blast incident linked to Naxalite activity in the state since the country was declared free from armed Maoists on March 31.
The explosion occurred in a forest area under Chhotebethiya police station limits, near the Narayanpur district border, when a DRG team was conducting a demining operation to locate and defuse IEDs planted earlier by Naxalites, a police official said.
ALSO READ: Mumbai-Pune Expressway connecting link now fully operational
During the operation, the security personnel detected an IED. However, the explosive went off while they were in the process of defusing it, seriously injuring four personnel, he said.
Inspector Sukhram Vatti, constable Krishna Komra and constable Sanjay Gadhpale succumbed to their injuries on the spot, the official said.
Another injured constable, Parmanand Komra, is undergoing treatment and receiving necessary medical care, he said.
Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattilingam said, based on inputs from surrendered Maoist cadres and other intelligence over the past few months, security forces had recovered and neutralised hundreds of IEDs planted earlier by Naxalites across the Bastar range, comprising seven districts, including Kanker.
"However, in today's unfortunate incident, the IED accidentally exploded while the Kanker district police team was trying to defuse it, resulting in the death of three personnel and serious injuries to one," he said.
