Bhubaneswar, July 5: The death toll of Odia workers in the recent explosion at a chemical factory in Telangana has risen to nine, following the confirmation of another victim’s identity through DNA analysis, an official confirmed on Saturday.
Pritish Panda, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the Directorate of Odisha Parivaar, stated that the latest victim was identified as Purna Chandra Sahu, a resident of Sukarpada village in Cuttack district.
The powerful explosion occurred on June 30 at a pharmaceutical unit in Pashamylaram, located in Telangana’s Sangareddy district. All nine deceased workers hailed from Odisha: three from Ganjam, two from Cuttack, two from Nabarangpur, and one each from Balasore and Jajpur.
According to Panda, the bodies of all the deceased have been handed over to their respective families.
In addition to the fatalities, four Odia workers were injured in the incident. Two of them have since been discharged, while two others remain under medical care. Among the injured, Samir Padhi from Ganjam district, who suffered 35% burn injuries and was admitted to the ICU, is showing signs of recovery and has been moved out of intensive care.
In total, 14 workers from Odisha were impacted by the tragic incident.
On Friday, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced an ex gratia payment of ₹10 lakh for the families of each deceased worker. The compensation will be disbursed from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF).
