Hyderabad, June 29, 2025 – In a devastating industrial accident, a massive explosion at the Sigachi Pharma plant in Telangana’s Pashamylaram industrial estate has claimed 12 lives and left 34 others injured, state officials confirmed on Monday.
According to Telangana Health Minister Damodara Raja Narasimha, the incident was triggered by a suspected chemical reaction inside a reactor, leading to a blast followed by a fire that rapidly engulfed part of the plant.
“As many as 12 people have died, and 34 are currently receiving treatment. We are hopeful there will be no further casualties,” the minister said during a press briefing.
Explosion Details and Rescue Operations
The blast reportedly occurred between 9:28 am and 9:35 am when over 150 people were inside the plant, with around 90 workers in the affected zone, according to Inspector General of Police (Multizone) V Satyanarayana. Tragically, the individual managing the attendance register is believed to be among the deceased, creating some ambiguity around the exact headcount at the time of the incident.
Labour Minister G Vivek Venkatswamy, who visited the site, confirmed the rising death toll. “Eight people died in the morning. Now, four more bodies have been found,” he said.
The Telangana Fire Department, backed by ten fire engines, along with personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), responded quickly to the emergency. The fire was successfully contained by late afternoon, and search operations continued into the evening.
Government Response and Relief Measures
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he extended his condolences to the affected families.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy described the incident as heartbreaking and directed state officials to intensify rescue efforts and ensure best-in-class medical care for the injured. “Every life matters, and we will spare no effort to support the families impacted by this tragedy,” the CM said in an official release.
About the Plant
According to its official website, Sigachi Industries Limited manufactures Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), Intermediates, Excipients, vitamin-mineral blends, and offers Operations and Management (O&M) services. The company has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.
Investigation and Safety Measures Ahead
While the cause of the explosion is still under investigation, authorities suspect a chemical reaction inside a reactor to be the root cause. Safety experts are expected to conduct a thorough forensic review of the site to determine protocol violations, if any.
This tragedy has once again brought to the forefront the critical need for industrial safety, especially in high-risk chemical and pharmaceutical units. The government is likely to review safety standards across similar facilities in the state.
