In India, at least 42 people were killed in a powerful explosion at the Sigachi Chemical Industry pharmaceutical plant in the state of Telangana. About this informs Hindustan Times.
The tragedy happened on June 30 and led to the collapse of the factory building and the rapid spread of fire to nearby buildings. The shock wave was so strong that, according to eyewitnesses, “the workers were thrown into the air and thrown several meters.”
“The explosion occurred in a spray dryer at the plant, which is used to process raw materials into a fine powder for the manufacture of medicines”, explained the fire department.
Several workers were near the dryer at the time of the explosion. A large part of the dead were migrant workers from other regions of India, particularly from Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.
The cause of the explosion was probably an uncontrolled chemical reaction that completely destroyed the enterprise’s hangar. State Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha said there were about 90 workers at the plant at the time.
India is home to the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, which provide a significant share of the global supply of generic drugs and vaccines. High production capacity and availability of production made the country attractive for pharmaceutical corporations.
However, industrial incidents, especially those related to chemical reactors, often occur at enterprises in this industry. This reaffirms the need for increased government oversight, stricter safety standards and oversight of a health-critical sector.
