Love marriage ends in tragedy as Kadapa couple dies in Sangareddy factory blast
Hyderabad: A tragic industrial accident at the Sigachi pharmaceutical factory in Pashamylaram, Sangareddy district, claimed 36 lives on Monday, June 30. Among the deceased were newlywed employees Nikhil Reddy and Sriramya, both from Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh.
The explosion, triggered by a reported reactor blast, caused a massive fire that engulfed the facility, trapping several workers. Witnesses said the blast was so powerful that some workers were thrown nearly 100 metres from the site. Firefighting teams arrived promptly, but the scale of the blaze made rescue operations difficult.
Nikhil Reddy, a native of Jammalamadugu, and his wife Sriramya from Penikalapadu village of Muddhanur mandal, had recently married in a love marriage. The couple had planned to hold a formal wedding ceremony with family blessings after the Ashada month. Their sudden deaths have left their families and native villages in deep mourning. Relatives and villagers gathered in large numbers at the government area hospital in Patancheru.
Other victims identified in the incident include B. Hema Sundar, 43, from Pakala in Chittoor district; Jagdish Prasad, 52, a resident of Isnapur, Patancheru, and originally from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh; Rajanala Jagan Mohan; Ram Singh Rajbar; Shashi Bhushan Kumar; Lagnajith Duari; Ruksana Kathoon; Nageshwar Rao; Polishetty Prasanna; and Manoj Raut.
Authorities have begun collecting blood samples from relatives of missing persons for DNA testing, as identification of some bodies remains pending. Of the 143 workers present during the blast, 58 have been identified so far.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy visited the site on Tuesday, July 1, along with Ministers D. Sridhar Babu and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy. The Chief Minister reviewed rescue operations and met with officials for a detailed update.
He announced an ex-gratia of ₹1 crore for the families of each deceased worker. As immediate relief, ₹1 lakh will be provided to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to those injured. For the critically injured, ₹10 lakh compensation will be extended, and those with partial injuries will receive ₹5 lakh. The state government will bear the full cost of medical treatment for the injured.
The Chief Minister also directed officials to ensure that children from affected families are admitted to government residential schools and receive complete support for their education. Rescue and identification efforts are ongoing.
