SANGAREDDY: A day after the catastrophic explosion at the Sigachi chemical factory in Sangareddy district, the death toll rose to 36, with 13 bodies identified as of Tuesday night. Grief-stricken families continued to camp outside hospitals and mortuaries, clinging to fading hopes as 16 people remain missing, and several bodies were charred beyond recognition.
The atmosphere is sombre, pierced only by the wails of loved ones desperate for answers. For many waiting near the factory gates, no compensation can fill the void left by those feared lost forever.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy visited the site on Tuesday, offering words of solace to the bereaved families. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore to the kin of each deceased worker. Visibly angered, the chief minister directed that the factory’s managing director be made to meet either the Industries minister or the Health minister. He asserted that responsibility would be fixed and stern action taken against those found guilty.
Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, who accompanied the CM, expressed outrage at the absence of company management even 24 hours after the tragedy. “The entire state administration is here to support the grieving families, but not a single senior official from the company has shown up. This will not be taken lightly,” he warned.
Though rescue operations are nearly complete, officials have recovered only mangled body parts, making identification difficult. According to one official, removing the debris has become a Herculean task, and identification could take several more days.
Authorities are yet to confirm whether some of the missing workers fled the site during the explosion or are still buried under the rubble of the three-storeyed building, which collapsed during the blast, trapping several employees inside.
A criminal case has been registered against the factory management by the BDL Bhanur police under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempting to commit culpable homicide), and 117 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Sangareddy District Collector P Pravinya said that 13 deceased persons have been identified so far, and their families have been provided with `1 lakh as immediate assistance. Families of the 34 injured workers have received `50,000 each.
DNA samples are being collected from the relatives of the missing to help identify severely mutilated or unrecognisable remains, currently preserved at the Patancheru hospital morgue. Distraught families continue to shuttle between the hospital and the factory, hoping for news of their loved ones.
57 escaped unhurt
According to officials, 143 workers were present at the time of the explosion. Of them, 57 escaped unhurt, 34 have been hospitalized, 36 have been confirmed dead, and 16 remain unaccounted for.
There are serious allegations of negligence against the factory management. Sources said that prior warnings from regulatory bodies were ignored.
While the state government’s committee is still investigating, a preliminary report by the Pollution Control Board indicates that overheating of chemical reactors may have triggered the blast.
Grim facts
143 workers present at the time of accident
Total deaths confirmed 36
Total bodies identified 13
Undergoing treatment 34
Still missing 16
Escaped unhurt 57