By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, July 1, 2025: The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has expressed deep sadness and grief over the tragic explosion at a chemical factory in Telangana, a southern Indian state.
The June 30 “horrific incident” in Sangareddy district reportedly claimed at least 42 workers and wounded several others, many in critical condition.
The massive explosion triggered the collapse of a three-storey building of Sigachi Industries Private Limited, a pharmaceutical unit in Pashamylaram near Hyderabad, the state capital.
Most victims were trapped under the production unit housing the reactor when it collapsed.
“Our hearts go out to the families who have lost their loved ones in this sudden and devastating tragedy. We offer our heartfelt condolences and stand in solidarity with them during this time of irreparable loss. We also pray for the speedy and full recovery of all those who have been injured and for the strength and courage of their families and caregivers,” said a press statement the conference issued on July 1.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy instructed officials to provide compensation of 10 million rupees to families of the workers who died in the blast and 1 million rupees to the wounded. As immediate relief, officials were directed to provide 100,000 rupees each to the families of the workers who died and 50,000 rupees each to the wounded.
The bishops noted that many victims were natives of other states, who had come to Telangana to provide for their families.
“We urge the authorities to ensure that adequate compensation, medical care, and long-term support are provided to the affected families,” the bishops said.
They also called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the cause of the explosion and the safety lapses, if any, to avoid such tragedies in future.
“The dignity of every human life and the right to a safe and secure working environment must be upheld as a moral and constitutional responsibility,” asserted the statement issued by Father Robinson Rodrigues, the CBCI public relations officer.
He urged all its dioceses, institutions, and faithful across India to pray for the victims in the coming days.
Meanwhile, a special forensic team from Osmania General Hospital was asked to assist with post mortems and DNA sample collection.
The pharmaceutical firm said the blast has damaged the core manufacturing infrastructure and operations at the facility are being paused temporarily.
Preliminary investigations suggested that a sudden pressure build-up inside a spray-drying unit may have caused the massive explosion.
Y Nagi Reddy, director general of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), told The News Minute that the blast occurred in the factory’s Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) drying unit.
MCC is a refined, partially broken-down form of cellulose derived from fibrous plant material like wood pulp. It’s widely used in the pharmaceutical industry as a key excipient in tablets and supplements. It also finds use as a bulking agent in food production.
The spray dryer, where the explosion reportedly happened, is a machine that converts a liquid or slurry into a dry powder by spraying it into a stream of hot gas. Since this process generates extremely high temperatures, a blow air handler is used to control the heat and airflow within the system.
