At least 36 killed in India after the explosion in a pharmaceutical factory

The death toll of a massive explosion and fire in a pharmaceutical factory in IndiaThe state of southern Telangana has increased to at least 36 years of age while three dozen was injured, the authorities announced on Tuesday.

The fire service has recovered the charred bodies from 34 workers from the accident site in an industrial area about 31 miles from the state capital, said Hyderabad, said state fire director GV Narayana Rao, to the Associated Press.

Two other workers died of burns and were declared dead in the hospital, said Rao, adding that the debris of the devisionable pharmaceutical unit of Sigachi Industries were still kidnapped to find out if other workers were trapped.

Nearly three dozen injured workers were admitted to hospitals after Monday’s explosion, he said.

“The whole structure of the factory collapsed. The fire has been sprayed, and we hope to finish withdraw the debris in the coming hours,” said Rao.

Sigachi Industries did not reveal what led to the explosion and fire, but said that the factory’s basic manufacturing infrastructure has been damaged and that facilities operations would be interrupted for 90 days. The factory produces microcrystalline cellulose, a chemical compound commonly used to make medicines, said the company.

On Monday, the explosion and subsequent fires were reported on Monday in the factory spraying dryer unit, which is used to transform the raw materials into fine powder to make medicines, said Rao.

State Minister of Health, Damodar Raja Narasimha, said that there were 108 workers inside the factory at the time of the explosion.

“As the bodies were seriously burned and mutilated, a special medical team was deployed to carry out DNA tests,” said Narasimha, adding that the government of the state has created a panel to investigate the cause of the incident.

Witnesses said they heard the explosion a few kilometers from the site.

India is home to some of the best pharmaceutical companies in the world, playing a central role in the global supply of generic drugs and vaccines. The robust manufacturing and profitable production of the country made it a center for pharmaceutical giants.

Industrial accidents, in particular involving chemical reactors, are not uncommon in these factories, highlighting the need for authorities to implement strict safety protocols and regulatory surveillance in a critical sector for public health.

According to the company’s website. It has five manufacturing facilities across India and subsidiaries in the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

Sigachi Industries’ shares fell 8% in intra-day trade on Tuesday, extending the previous session diving by almost 10%.

In disclosure on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday, the company described the incident as “unhappy” and announced that an in -depth assessment of the site was underway. The factory where the fire occurred contributes a little more than a quarter of the annual capacity of the company.