Hyderabad, June 30: As many as eight workers including one from Odisha were killed and 28 others sustained injuries after a massive reactor explosion rocked a chemical factory in Sangareddy district of Telangana on Monday.
The deceased worker from Odisha has been identified as Nagarjit Tiwari.
As per reports, the explosion occurred at Sigachi Pharma Company in Pasamailaram Phase 1 at around 9 a.m. and triggered a huge fire which engulfed the entire factory.
After being alerted, firefighters along with police rushed to the spot and launched rescue and relief operations. A total of eleven fire engines were pressed to service to douse the flames and bring the situation under control.
While five workers died on the spot, three others succumbed to the injuries during treatment at hospitals.
A total of 66 people were working at the factory when the explosion occurred. The injured were taken to different hospitals, and five of them are in critical condition.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), along with local revenue and police teams, are involved in the rescue and relief efforts.
According to eye-witnesses, the explosion was so powerful that workers were thrown into the air and landed several meters away. The factory's manufacturing unit collapsed from the blast, and the fire spread to a nearby building in the same factory.
Migrant workers from Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and other states were working at the factory.
The explosion and fire caused panic among the employees in the chemical unit and nearby factories. They quickly ran out of the building.
Rescue workers used earthmovers to clear the debris of the collapsed building. One worker was pulled out from the rubble and taken to the hospital.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the accident and directed officials to take all necessary measures to rescue the trapped workers.
The Chief Minister's Office said he also made sure the injured received the best medical treatment.
Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha visited the site and told officials to speed up the rescue and relief efforts.
