A massive explosion and fire at a pharmaceutical factory in southern India’s Telangana state has killed at least 36 people, leaving about three dozen injured. The blast occurred on Monday in the factory’s spray dryer unit, which processes raw material into fine powder for making drugs.
The fire department recovered 34 charred bodies from the accident site, while two other workers died from burns and were pronounced dead in hospital. Authorities are still searching for any trapped workers as debris is removed.
Sigachi Industries, the company operating the factory, said the plant’s core manufacturing infrastructure was damaged and operations would be halted for 90 days. The cause of the explosion remains unknown, but the state government has launched an investigation and set up a panel to look into it.
India is home to top pharmaceutical companies, producing generic medicines and vaccines that are critical to public health. Industrial accidents like this highlight the need for stringent safety protocols and regulatory oversight in the sector.
Shares of Sigachi Industries plummeted 8% on Tuesday following the incident, which occurred at a factory that contributes about a quarter of the company’s annual capacity.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/india-pharmaceutical-factory-fire-telangana-e914c229736d1b2af3d4565d0e227cb1