Telangana chemical blast: Newlywed couple missing, kin await DNA results

Hyderabad: Distraught relatives of Nikhil Reddy and Sriramya, who recently got married, fear the worst as they wait in bated breath for the couple’s DNA test results following the deadly chemical explosion at Sangareddy’s Sigachi Industries’ pharma plant.

The couple were employees and were on the site at the time of the powerful explosion that has so far claimed 45 lives.

Hailing from Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh, Nikhil and Sriramya entered wedlock in Arya Samajam. They had planned to hold a traditional Andhra wedding ceremony for their loved ones.

But their happiness was drastically cut short. There has been no news of their whereabouts since the blast, relatives say.

CM announces Rs 1 lakh as relief

CM Revanth Reddy, accompanied by ministers Sridhar Babu, Damodara Raja Narasimha, G Vivek and P Rsinivasa Redd,y visited the factory blast site and reviewed the situation with senior officials.

He announced an ex- gratia of Rs 1 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured as aid. He clarified that the amount is not compensation. “We will ensure that the families of those who died in the explosion receive a compensation of Rs 1 crore from the Sigachi Pharma company,” the CM added.

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Telangana pharma plant explosion death toll rises to 45; CM orders relief

On Tuesday, rescue operations continued in an effort to locate survivors and recover human remains. As many as 35 people are undergoing treatment in different hospitals. The condition of 10 of them is said to be critical.

Temperature buildup cause of explosion

As a probe begins to investigate what could be Telangana’s worst industrial disaster in recent times, officials believe a temperature buildup in the spray dryer could be the reason for the explosion.

A spray dryer turns a liquid or slurry into a dried powder by atomising it into a hot gas stream. Temperatures can soar as high as 800 degrees Celsius during the process.

To maintain the sharp rise, a bow air handler is used to regulate airflow and temperature. This requires regular cleaning of the system. Experts suspect that a lack of proper cleaning may have resulted in high temperatures in the spray dryer, triggering the explosion.

According to witnesses, the explosion’s impact was so severe that workers were tossed in the air and fell several meters away. The manufacturing unit in the factory collapsed under the impact of the blast, while fire spread to the adjoining building within the factory premises.

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