SANGAREDDY, June 30 — The death toll from the explosion at Sigachi Industries’ pharma plant in Telangana’s Pashamylaram industrial estate rose to 12 on Monday, with at least 34 others injured, officials confirmed.
Health Minister Damodara Raja Narasimha said the explosion, likely caused by a chemical reaction inside a reactor, triggered a massive fire. “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 visited the area, said, “Eight people died in the morning. Now, four more bodies have been found.”
The blast occurred between 9:28 am and 9:35 am, according to Inspector General of Police (Multizone) V Satyanarayana, who said the plant had around 150 workers at the time, with 90 believed to be in the affected section. The exact number is still being verified as the staffer responsible for attendance records is feared to be among the deceased.
The explosion and fire prompted an immediate emergency response. At least 10 fire engines, along with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams, were deployed. Authorities said the fire has been brought under control.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences in a post on ‘X’, saying he was deeply saddened by the tragedy. He announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 for each injured person from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy called the incident tragic and directed officials to rescue any remaining trapped workers and ensure advanced medical care for the injured. A formal inquiry into the cause of the explosion is expected.
There was no immediate statement from Sigachi Industries Limited, which, according to its website, focuses on the production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), intermediates, excipients, and other pharma-related services.
Authorities have said investigations are underway to determine the precise cause of the blast and assess whether safety protocols were breached. The factory site remains under restricted access as forensic and disaster response teams continue their work.
