1 killed, 8 injured in a blast in T'gana pharma unit

One worker killed and eight others injured in a reactor blast at a pharmaceutical unit in Telangana’s Nalgonda district on Friday.

The incident occurred in the pharma unit on the outskirts of Veliminedu village in Chityala mandal.

The blast triggered a fire in the third block of the facility while operations were underway. Fire-fighting personnel rushed to the spot with fire tenders and other equipment to douse the flames. Thick smoke engulfed the block.

The incident left at least nine workers with injuries. They were rushed to at Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences at Narketpally, where one of the workers succumbed while undergoing treatment.

The deceased was identified as Boddu Balakrishna (30), a resident of Chinnakaparthi in Nalgonda district.

Two of the injured were stated to be in critical condition.

This is the second such accident in the same pharmaceutical unit in less than a month. Two workers were injured in a similar blast on April 9.

Meanwhile, newly-appointed Director General of Police C V. Anand on Friday underlined the need to train personnel of fire services department in dealing with the disasters in chemical factories.

He also called for proper coordination on part of the police as first responder with other departments in tackling such disasters.

He noted that a disaster management unit has already been created in the fire department. Hyderabad Disaster Management and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) are also working in the area of disaster management.

Telangana witnessed worst-ever industrial disaster last year when 54 workers were killed and 28 others injured in a chemical factory in Sangareddy district.

A huge fire broke out following a major explosion in the manufacturing plant of Sigachi Industries, Pashamailaram industrial area unit on June 30, 2025.

The plant manufactures Microcrystalline Cellulose powder, which is used in tablets and capsules as a binding agent.