Hyderabad: An expert team led by B Venkateshwar Rao, a prominent scientist from CSIR-IICT, visited the Sigachi Industries site on Thursday. A tragic explosion on Monday had resulted in the deaths of 38 workers and injured 33 others. Sangareddy Superintendent of Police Paritosh Pankaj mentioned that nine workers are still unaccounted for.
The committee interviewed the management to understand the enforcement of safety rules and the frequency of safety inspections. They also checked the implementation of standard operating procedures (SOP) for worker safety.
During their visit, the experts talked to employees about the company’s safety measures and how they monitor worker safety. Preliminary findings suggested some safety lapses, but the committee will make a final decision after reviewing all documents.
Sigachi Industries Ltd clarified on Thursday that 38 workers died, correcting an earlier statement of 40 fatalities. The company stated the accident wasn’t due to a reactor explosion but awaits investigation results.
Efforts to locate the missing workers continued on Thursday, with officials removing over 90% of the debris. SP Pankaj confirmed the death toll as 38, but nine people remain missing. Authorities await forensic reports to clarify the situation.
Families of the missing protested outside the company, urging officials to find their relatives. Five missing workers are from Odisha, with two each from Nabarangpur, Ganjam, and one from Cuttack. Relatives have provided DNA samples for identification. At the explosion time, 143 workers were present on site.
Most victims came from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh. Fifty-seven rescued individuals have since returned home safely.
Health officials reported that some injured workers will soon be discharged from hospitals.
