Hyderabad: At least 39 people have been confirmed dead following a devastating explosion and subsequent fire at Sigachi Industries' chemical manufacturing plant in southern India, officials said on Tuesday. The incident, which occurred on Monday in Telangana state, also left 34 others injured.
Authorities are continuing rescue and recovery efforts at the site, where the entire building was reduced to rubble. "We are still in the process of removing the debris," said GV Narayana Rao, Director of the Telangana Fire Disaster Response Emergency Department. "Only once the clearance is complete can we determine whether additional bodies remain buried."
Over 140 workers were present at the facility when the blast occurred, according to police. District administrator P. Pravinya confirmed that 25 of the deceased victims have yet to be identified.
In response to the disaster, the Telangana state government has established a five-member committee to investigate the incident. Sigachi Industries has not yet revealed the cause of the explosion.
The company specializes in producing microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), a versatile additive used in pharmaceuticals, food products, cosmetics, and specialty chemicals. The Telangana facility accounts for over 25% of Sigachi’s total annual capacity of 21,700 million metric tons.
Following news of the explosion, Sigachi’s shares dropped around 6% on Tuesday, marking the steepest two-day decline since its market debut in 2021. The company announced a 90-day suspension of operations at the damaged site and said the plant is fully insured, with insurance claims already underway.
In a separate tragedy, five people lost their lives and four were injured in a fire at a firecracker factory in the Sivakasi region of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. The area has seen a string of similar incidents in recent years.
