11 Yet to Be Located, 18 Bodies Identified
Hyderabad: The death toll in the massive explosion at Sigachi Industries’ pharma unit at Pashamylaram has increased to 40 on Wednesday, while the search is on for locating 11 persons who are still not traced. There were 143 at the factory floor on the day of the explosion. Of this, 34 persons received severe injuries, while 54 suffered minor injuries and shifted to their residences.
Till late Wednesday, officials had identified 18 bodies. Out of this, 14 bodies were handed over to their family members, while the remaining four bodies are yet to be handed over. Government hospital staff have collected DNA samples from family members to match with that of the bodies, which were charred beyond recognition.
K. Shiva Kumar, junior analyst, government hospital, Patancheru said they collected DNA samples and sent them to the lab in Hyderabad for identification of bodies. The family members of the deceased are residing in different states, and they are yet to arrive in Hyderabad. Within hours after collecting samples, he said they have issued certificates to identify the bodies.
Three friends from Uttar Pradesh have been working at Sigachi Industries. Of these, two friends, Akhilesh Kumar and Vijay Kumar, who were in the ‘A’ or morning shift, have died when the spray dryer at the sterile processing department exploded.
“At the time of the blast, we were inside the premises. The blast took place at the SPD unit and flames emanated," Pavan Nishad said.
Pavan Nishad said he was at the reactor when the explosion occurred at the SPD unit. “A blast took place at the SPD unit after workers threw powder into the machines. Due to the heavy intensity of the blast, the entire three-storeyed building collapsed,” he recalled.
All the employees, who died in the mishap, were charred in the explosion. Deputy general manager M. Praveen Kumar's body too was burnt completely.
"Praveen Kumar's body's parts were divided into pieces and all together tied by the mortuary staff after identification by DNA. It was difficult to see him in charred condition," explained Ramya, the sister-in-law of Praveen Kumar.
District officials brought more than 30 ambulances to the Patancheru government hospital to shift bodies to the native places of the victims in Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and other places. Police issued a No Objection Certificate (NoC) to carry dead bodies.
Bodies identified so far
1. Venkat Rao, Mancherial, Telangana
2. Ramya, Vijayawada, AP
3. Nikhil Kumar Reddy, Kadapa, AP
4. Kalishety Prasanna, East Godavari, AP
5. Hemasunder, Chittoor, AP
6. Dasari Suneel Kumar, Prakasam district, AP
7. Bachu Balakrishna, Krishna, AP
8. M Praveen Kumar, Bobbili, AP
9. P Jagan Mohan, Odisha
10. Lagnajit, Odisha
11 Manoj Kumar, Odisha
12. Dala Gamad, Odisha
13. Shanibashan, Bihar
14. Ruksma, Bihar
15. Laxmi Mutta, Bihar
16. Jagadar Prasad Raut, UP
17. M. Emmanuel
18. Vajra Kesava Raja Enja
