Telangana: Confusion, chaos prevail at Sigachi Chloro Chemicals blast site; victims’ kin left in the dark

Following a deadly explosion at Sigachi Chloro Chemicals, confusion and chaos gripped the site as officials and management failed to provide information on trapped employees. Families left in distress until a help desk was set up late in the day

Sangareddy: Utter confusion prevailed at Sigachi Chloro Chemicals Private Limited hours after a massive explosion on Monday morning, with neither the management nor officials able to confirm how many employees remained trapped under the debris.

The explosion occurred at around 9.30 am. While the security post at the entrance remained intact, the industry management failed to provide any clarity on the number of employees present inside the premises even by evening. Distressed family members of the workers were seen wandering through the site in tears, searching for information about their loved ones, but no help or updates were forthcoming from the management or officials.

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Despite the presence of Collector P Pravinya, SP Paritosh Pankaj and officers from various departments at the site, they were unable to ascertain the number of workers on duty at the time of the blast until late evening. Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha and IG V Satyanarayana arrived an hour later, but they too failed to obtain a workers’ list from the management.

The absence of a help desk to coordinate relief efforts and provide information added to the anguish of the families. Even as grieving relatives wept inconsolably, no official or representative from the management was present to address their concerns.

It was only after former Minister T Harish Rao reached the site and pointed out the lack of basic emergency arrangements that the district administration hastily set up a help desk. Rao also visited the injured in hospitals. Minister Rajanarasimha, who had arrived at the site a couple of hours before Rao, only visited the injured after Rao’s intervention post 3 pm.

Keshav, the son of employee Ramanjaneyulu, who was working at the plant on Monday, told ‘Telangana Today’ that he had no idea about his father’s whereabouts. “My father came to work this morning. After hearing about the blast, I rushed here but couldn’t reach him over the phone. No one here is helping us,” he said, breaking down. Dozens of similar scenes were witnessed throughout the day, as distraught families pleaded for information.

By evening, officials finally released a list stating that 149 employees were on duty at the time of the explosion. Of them, 12 had died and 34 were injured and shifted to various hospitals. However, officials were still unsure how many remained trapped under the rubble.