AT LEAST 44 people have died after a chemical reactor exploded inside a drug factory in India.
Dozens are still missing after the horror blast sparked an inferno and burnt the building to the ground – leaving workers trapped inside.
At least 44 people have died after a huge explosion ripped through a chemical factoryReuters
X/TIMThe factory was left up in flames as firefighters battled to put it out[/caption]
XPlumes of black smoke filled the sky as the fire ripped through the factory[/caption]
The chemical factory, used by Sigachi Industries, sat in the Pashamylaram industrial estate in Telangana’s Sangareddy district.
Police in Telangana said more than 140 people were working in the plant at the time of the blast with more than 60 directly impacted.
Seventeen workers are still unaccounted for as officials fear they may be trapped under the charred debris.
The death toll has continued to rise since officials first rushed to the scene on Monday.
A massive rescue team was deployed to extinguish the flames and try to move the rubble with excavators seen at the factory.
GV Narayana Rao, director of the fire response team, confirmed the factory had completely collapsed due to the explosion.
He said: “We are still clearing the debris and once we are all done with the clearing, only then we will be able to assess if any other body is still remaining under the debris or if it is all clear.”
Terrified plant worker Chandan Gound, 32, added: “I came out [of the plant] to use the restroom and heard a loud blast.
“It sounded like a bomb blast. I came out and saw fire. A part of the fire also spread towards me. I jumped the wall and escaped.
“Many of them [working inside] managed to escape, but a large number were trapped and could not come out.”
At least 25 victims were rushed to hospital with a range of serious injuries and burns.
Many had reportedly inhaled poisonous fumes, according to local newspapers.
Investigations are still ongoing into what caused the explosion.
A senior rescue official told The Indian Express that the blast could have been caused by “pressure building up inside the spray dryer”.
They speculated: “Pressure seems to have built up when the workers were operating the spray dryer.
“Fine dust chemical particles accelerated the blast and the subsequent fire.”
Sigachi primarily makes microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and caters to clients in the pharma, food, cosmetic and specialty chemicals sectors.
They supply goods to countries ranging from the US to Australia.
The Telangana plant alone contributes to more than a fourth of its total capacity of MCC per year.
Sigachi announced they have stopped all operations at the plant for the next 90 days due to the severe damage to equipment and the building.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has also told officials across the state to conduct thorough inspections into all chemical companies.
It comes as at least 29 students died and another 250 were injured after an explosion sparked a stampede at a high school.
Students were taking their final exams when an electrical transformer exploded in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, on Wednesday.
Rescue workers look for survivors after the horror explosionReuters
XOfficials fear more bodies may be found under the rubble[/caption]