Expert panel visits Sigachi blast site

Hyderabad: The four-member expert committee, headed by B Venkateshwar Rao, a noted scientist from CSIR-IICT, on Thursday visited the manufacturing facility of Sigachi Industries where a ghastly explosion claimed the lives of 38 workers and left 33 injured on Monday. Sangareddy Superintendent of Police Paritosh Pankaj said that nine workers were still missing.

The committee met with the management and sought the details of the enforcement of the safety norms and periodical inspection of the company premises by the safety wing. It also enquired about the practice of SOP (standard operating procedures) for workers’ safety.

During the visit, the committee met some employees and enquired about the company’s safety protocols and regular monitoring of the safety of the workers in the workplace. It is learnt that the committee found some lapses in the safety protocols in the company, but the members will come to a conclusion on it only after verifying the documentary evidence.

Meanwhile, the Sigachi Industries Ltd on Thursday clarified that 38 workers died in the accident and not 40 as mentioned by it on Wednesday.

The company had also clarified that the accident was not caused by a reactor explosion at the plant and they await the results of the investigation

On Thursday, the officials continued to trace the missing persons. The officials said that over 90 per cent of the debris was removed and there was no chance of recovering any more dead bodies from the debris. However, Sangareddy SP Pankaj said: “Death toll remains at 38. But as many as 9 people are still missing in the explosion at the Sigachi Industries and efforts are on to trace the missing people. Once we get the reports of bones and other things from FSL (Forensic Science Lab), then things will be clear”.

The families and relatives continued to stage protests in front of the company, demanding the authorities to trace the missing people. Of the nine missing people, five workers were from Odisha – two each from Nabarangpur district, Ganjam and one from Cuttack. Relatives of five missing people have given DNA samples for matching. As per the officials, at the time of the explosion, 143 workers were on duty at the chemical factory.

Most of the deceased workers hailed from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. As many as 57 people who were rescued have returned home safely.

The health officials said some injured workers who are undergoing treatment in various hospitals will be discharged shortly.