Key points
- Factory reduced to rubble, cause under investigation
- Industrial safety lapses blamed for frequent disasters
- Forensic team identifies four victims through DNA
ISLAMABAD: The death toll from a powerful explosion at an Indian chemical factory has risen to 37, as search and rescue operations continued for a second day Tuesday, officials said.
The blast in Sangareddy in India’s southern Telangana state on Monday turned parts of the building into rubble, according to AFP.
State Chief Minister Revanth Reddy visited the site on Tuesday, with a video released by his office showing piles of twisted metal in the wreckage of the factory.
Reddy’s office said a committee was investigating the cause of the explosion, but a government official, who asked not to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media, said that “at least 37 people” had been killed, reports AFP.
Industrial disasters
“Searches at the site are still going on,” the official added.
Industrial disasters are common in India, with experts blaming poor planning and lax enforcement of safety rules.
“The incident has unfortunately resulted in the loss of human life,” factory owner Sigachi Industries said in a statement. The company supplies pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, and chemicals to the industry.
Meanwhile, a special forensic team from Osmania General Hospital has been brought in to assist with post-mortems and DNA sample collection. So far, autopsies have been completed on 15 bodies, with only four victims identified, according to The Hindu.
