A tragic explosion at a Telangana chemical plant has left 38 people dead, and investigators now believe overheating inside industrial equipment—not a reactor malfunction—was to blame.
The factory, operated by Sigachi Industries in Pashamylaram, was reduced to rubble after Monday’s blast. On Wednesday, the company pushed back against speculation about a reactor failure, while state officials pointed to soaring temperatures in a spray dryer unit as the most probable trigger.
A Catastrophe Unfolds in Seconds
The explosion tore through the factory floor shortly after 9:30 a.m., when most of the workforce had just begun their shift. Eyewitnesses said the blast was so intense that parts of the building crumbled instantly. Concrete pillars, metal frames, and collapsed ceilings buried workers under layers of wreckage.
By Wednesday evening, search and rescue teams pulled two more bodies from the debris, pushing the official death toll to 38. Dozens more were injured—some critically—and are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals in Sangareddy and Hyderabad.
One factory worker, who survived with burns and a broken arm, told local media, “We heard a loud boom, and the next thing I saw was smoke everywhere and people running, screaming.” Another survivor said they had complained about unusual heat levels in the factory a day before the incident.
Overheating, Not a Reactor: What Experts Are Saying
According to A V Ranganath, commissioner of Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRAA), the evidence so far points to thermal decomposition inside the facility’s spray dryer unit.
The dryer was processing microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)—a pharmaceutical excipient derived from wood pulp. MCC in powder form is highly sensitive to heat. Investigators believe the dryer’s internal temperature crossed 399°C, well above the recommended ceiling of 200°C.
“At 399 degrees Celsius, MCC begins to break down chemically,” Ranganath said. “It’s a classic case of runaway temperature going unnoticed until it was too late.”
Sigachi Industries manufactures MCC as one of its flagship products, exporting it globally. The material is typically used in tablet and capsule formulations across the pharmaceutical industry.
But the company insists that the blast wasn’t caused by a reactor malfunction. “We want to clarify that the accident was not caused by a reactor explosion,” it said in a public statement. “We are cooperating fully with authorities and supporting the families of victims.”
A Company Under Scrutiny
While the cause of the blast appears to be overheating, questions are mounting about whether enough was done to prevent such a disaster. Worker accounts suggest that safety alarms either failed or were ignored.
The Telangana state government has launched an official probe, with multiple agencies including HYDRAA and forensic teams from Hyderabad involved.
Here’s what we know about the company’s immediate response so far:
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Sigachi Industries announced Rs 1 crore ($120,000) in compensation to each of the deceased workers’ families.
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Emergency protocols were activated post-blast, but several families allege delays in medical help and rescue operations.
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Factory operations remain suspended until further notice.
And yet, the public statement by the company has left some frustrated. “It’s good they’re paying compensation,” said one relative of a victim. “But why didn’t they ensure temperatures stayed in control?”
Safety Standards in Indian Factories: A Troubling Trend
Industrial accidents in India are alarmingly frequent, with chemical factories being especially vulnerable due to high heat and flammable materials. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported over 600 industrial accidents between 2018 and 2023 across India.
Data from the Ministry of Labour shows Telangana has witnessed at least 15 major factory explosions since 2020. Many were linked to lapses in maintenance or violations of safety standards.
| Year | State | Major Industrial Explosions | Official Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Telangana | 4 | 18 |
| 2021 | Gujarat | 6 | 32 |
| 2022 | Maharashtra | 5 | 21 |
| 2023 | Tamil Nadu | 3 | 14 |
| 2024 | Telangana | 2 | 11 |
Factory oversight is often patchy. Safety audits, if conducted at all, are sometimes outsourced to third-party firms with little on-ground enforcement. Workers—many hired on contract—are left vulnerable.
Mourning, Anger, and Demands for Justice
By Wednesday evening, the town of Pashamylaram had turned somber. Funeral pyres lit up the night as families buried their loved ones. Anger mingled with sorrow. Locals gathered outside the factory gates holding placards that read, “Safety is not optional,” and “Justice for the workers.”
Several labor unions called for a wider investigation—not just into this explosion, but into overall working conditions across Telangana’s growing industrial zones.
A spokesperson from the Telangana Workers Front said, “This isn’t the first factory disaster. And if the government doesn’t act, it won’t be the last.”
Meanwhile, political leaders from both state and central parties visited the site and met with victims’ families. But promises of reform have been made before. People are waiting to see if this time will be any different.
Global Pharmaceutical Supply Chains Now on Alert
Sigachi Industries is not just any factory. The firm exports MCC to over 30 countries and is listed on Indian stock exchanges. As news of the explosion spread, shares of the company fell nearly 8% on Tuesday morning before stabilizing by market close.
Global pharma clients, including firms in Europe and Southeast Asia, are expected to reevaluate supply chains. Industry insiders say disruptions may be limited unless prolonged downtime occurs.
Still, the incident has triggered warnings across the chemical manufacturing sector. Firms using high-temperature dryers and processing volatile powders are rechecking their safety protocols this week.
In India, this may finally force regulators and corporations alike to take industrial safety more seriously—though for 38 families, the reckoning comes too late.
