At least 36 killed after factory explosion and fire in India

At least 36 have died after a massive explosion at a pharmaceutical factory in South India, with dozens more injured.

The explosion happened on Monday in an industrial area in India’s southern state of Telangana.

The fire department reportedly recovered the bodies of 34 workers from the incident site, while two other workers died as a result of burns in hospital.

Nearly three dozen more factory staff were injured and taken to local hospitals.

The state’s fire services director G.V. Narayana Rao said rescue efforts are ongoing to remove debris and see if any more workers are trapped within the pharmaceutical factory, owned by Sigachi Industries.

“The whole structure of the factory has collapsed. Fire has been doused, and we hope to finish removing the debris in the next few hours,” Rao said.

Firefighters extinguish a fire which followed the explosion at the pharmaceutical factory. / Credit: AP

Witnesses said they heard the explosion from a couple of kilometers away from the site.

Sigachi Industries did not disclose what led to the explosion and fire, but said the plant’s core manufacturing infrastructure was damaged and facility operations would be halted for 90 days.

The plant produces microcrystalline cellulose, a chemical compound commonly used in making drugs, the company said.

On Tuesday, Rao added that the explosion and fire were reported on Monday in the factory’s spray dryer unit, which is used to process raw materials into fine powder for making drugs.

The state’s health minister, Damodar Raja Narasimha said there were 108 workers inside the factory at the time of the explosion.

“As bodies were badly burnt and mutilated, a special medical team has been deployed to conduct DNA tests,” said Narasimha.

The state government has also set up a panel to investigate the cause of the incident.

India is home to some of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies, playing a pivotal role in the global supply of generic medicines and vaccines.

The country has become known as “the pharmacy of the world” and is a hub for pharma giants due to its robust manufacturing processes and cost-effective production.

Industrial accidents, particularly involving chemical reactors, aren’t uncommon in such factories, with a lack of proper health and safety protocols often blamed.