CM announces Rs.1 crore ex gratia, orders detailed probe into Pashamylaram reactor blast

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy announced Rs.1 crore compensation to the deceased in the Pashamylaram blast and ordered a detailed inquiry. A committee headed by the Chief Secretary will oversee relief. He warned of stern action against those found responsible

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday announced Rs.1 crore as ex gratia to families of those killed in the Pashamylaram reactor blast, Rs.10 lakh for those who suffered permanent disabilities and Rs.5 lakh for the injured.

The Chief Minister, who along cabinet colleagues including Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu and Labour Minister G Vivek Venkatswamy, visited the blast site and reviewed the situation, also announced immediate financial assistance of Rs.1 lakh for the deceased and Rs.50,000 for the injured. “This is not compensation but immediate assistance to help families meet urgent expenses,” he said.

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Addressing media persons, the Chief Minister said preliminary reports indicated that 36 people had died in the incident. At the time of the explosion, 143 workers were on duty at the factory, of whom 58 have been identified so far. He directed officials to ensure quality medical treatment for the injured, assuring that the government would bear the expenses if necessary. He also said that the children of the deceased would be admitted to government residential schools.

Most of the workers were from Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. A committee headed by Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao has been constituted to monitor relief measures.

Revanth Reddy sought an explanation from Factories department officials on whether periodic inspections had been carried out at the unit. “Stern action will be taken against those responsible for the incident,” he asserted.

The Chief Minister instructed officials to submit a comprehensive report on the blast. “Do not compile reports based on assumptions. Engage experts from different domains and conduct detailed inspections of all factories in the region to identify lapses in safety compliance,” he directed.

He also asked departments to coordinate rescue and relief efforts efficiently. “Locating the bodies, removing debris, these are difficult tasks and must be handled with utmost care,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sridhar Babu took strong exception to the absence of the company’s top management during the inspection.

“This is such a fatal incident, and yet your top management is missing. If they are too busy with other matters, why set up factories at all?” he questioned company representatives at the site.