At least 12 persons were killed and 35 others were injured on Monday after an explosion at a drying unit triggered a fire at a pharmaceutical company near Hyderabad, The Hindu reported.
The blast took place at Sigachi Industries Private Limited, located in the Pashamylaram industrial area.
The fire caused part of the building to collapse, trapping workers under the debris.
The explosion was reported to the fire control room at 9.37 am, The Hindu reported.
Emergency teams, including 11 fire department vehicles, were deployed to the scene. Efforts are underway to locate any remaining trapped persons.
Fire department officials said all the injured workers have been taken to hospitals in the vicinity.
Initial reports suggested that the blast occurred inside a reactor at the pharmaceutical manufacturing plant. However, the Director General of the Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services Y Nagireddy later told ANI that the fire occurred at a drying unit of the plant.
A detailed investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the incident and to assess whether safety norms were followed.
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