SANGAREDDY: A dense, choking cloud of smoke and dust still hangs over the ruins of the ill-fated Sigachi chemical factory in Pashamylaram, Sangareddy district on Wednesday, two days after a devastating blast claimed 38 lives and left over 30 others seriously injured.
Little remains visible of the factory, now reduced to a tangled mass of metal, rubble, and ash. The air remains heavy with the acrid stench of burnt chemicals, searing throats and bringing tears unbidden to the eyes of those who brave the scene. Yet, for three relentless days, rescue teams comprising personnel from the fire department, police, HYDRAA, NDRF and local administration keep working around the clock, regardless of the exhaustion and the hazard.
“Clad in protective gear and masks, we keep entering the factory’s wreckage. But despite all measures, the chemical fumes are unbearable. Our throats burn, our eyes sting constantly,” said Mahesh, a police constable from Hyderabad, pausing briefly before returning to the grim task.
Teams rest in shifts at the site, snatching moments of sleep before resuming the search as they race against time.
Rain impacts rescue efforts
“The rescue will take time. On the first day, we used nine heavy machines to clear the debris. Four are still at work. As we lift the rubble, pockets of fire flare up, likely sparked by chemical reactions, and we battle them with extinguishers,” said a senior official overseeing the operation, requesting anonymity.
The almost continuous rain through Tuesday night slowed progress, but work resumed at first light on Wednesday. One more body was recovered from beneath the debris and shifted to the government hospital for postmortem examination.
The body remained unidentified, with no relatives present at the site to claim it. “About 300 personnel are engaged in the ongoing rescue efforts,” said SP Paritosh Pankaj.
Stat story of the blast
Total working persons: 143
Persons traced and fine: 60
Injured and under treatment: 35
Identified deaths: 18
Unidentified deaths: 20
Missing: 10
Temporary relief
18 families paid Rs 1 lakh each as contingency amount
34 persons who sustained injuries in the blast paid Rs 50,000 as contingency amount
No. of missing families given temporary relief of Rs 10,000
DNA processing and family mapping
Bodies handed over to families or sent home: 18
No. of DNA samples pending for result at lab: 18
Samples of deceased not yet collected: 2
No. of blood samples of family members yet to be processed at lab: 25
No. of family samples yet to be collected: 5
No. of families not traceable to date: 3