Sigachi Pharma blast: CM Revanth visits site, announces Rs 1 crore aid from factory

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday announced that the families of workers killed in the Sigachi Pharma Industries explosion will receive an ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore each from the company management.

Those who sustained critical injuries will be paid Rs 10 lakh each, and Rs 5 lakh each to others with minor injuries.

CM visits blast site, reviews rescue efforts

The chief minister visited the factory in Sangareddy district, where at least 36 people lost their lives and several others sustained injuries in a massive explosion on Monday.

After inspecting the site, Revanth Reddy termed it as the most tragic incident and said that in no other accident in the past in United Andhra Pradesh or Telangana, so many lives were lost.

As per the available information, the workers in the factory were from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, he said. Some workers are missing and feared trapped under debris.

He stated that 143 employees were present in the factory when the explosion occurred, and so far, 58 of them have been contacted by authorities.

Efforts are underway to locate those still unaccounted for. Officials believe that while some might be trapped beneath the debris, others may have fled the scene in panic and have yet to establish contact with the authorities, Revanth Reddy said.

The chief minister also held a review meeting at the site, inspected rescue operations and interacted with officials and factory authorities.

Orders detailed expert report

CM Revanth directed officials to submit a detailed investigation report by experts into the exact cause of the blast. He told factory authorities: “Don’t conclude with assumptions or general opinion. I need specific reasons for this accident. Only then can we address what happened here today.”

Inspections of all chemical units

The chief minister ordered fresh inspections of all chemical units in Telangana to identify safety lapses and prevent such industrial tragedies in future. He instructed that new expert teams be deployed for these inspections rather than relying on previous reports.

Special officer appointed for rescue coordination

To streamline relief and rescue operations, CM Revanth appointed a special officer for coordination at the blast site.

Immediate aid announced

Apart from the Rs 1 crore ex-gratia from Sigachi Industries management, the chief minister announced immediate aid of Rs 1 lakh to the families of the deceased workers and Rs 50,000 to the injured from the State government.

He clarified that this was emergency relief and not compensation. Both the company management and the state government will ensure compensation to the victims, the chief minister said.

He also announced that expenses for the treatment of the injured will be borne by the company and the government.

Focus on medical care and education of victims’ children

CM Revanth assured the best medical care at government cost for the injured victims if needed. He also directed officials to ensure that the children of deceased workers are provided education in government residential schools, safeguarding their future.

Accountability and prevention emphasised

The chief minister underlined that such incidents must become learning points for the government and industry. “We need to focus on what instructions we must give to avoid similar problems in other industries like this. There are two things we need from this: first, a detailed report, and second, accountability,” he said.

PM announces Central relief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

Later, the Chief Minister visited a hospital in Patancheru to meet and console the injured victims.

He was accompanied by Ministers Damodar Raja Narasimha, D. Sridhar Babu, P. Srinivasa Reddy, G. Vivek, and other senior officials during the visit.