Death toll touches 40: search on to find 9 missing persons

Hyderabad: The death toll in the June 30 explosion at the Sigachi Industries' pharma plant in Pashamylaram industrial area in the Sangareddy district rose to 40 on Saturday, following the death of one more person who was undergoing treatment in a hospital.

Officials said that a 48-year-old person from Uttar Pradesh, who had suffered more than 70 per cent burns in the explosion, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital in the afternoon.

Nineteen of the injured persons were undergoing treatment in hospitals as of Saturday morning.

Officials said that efforts were on to trace nine people reported missing since the explosion at the pharma plant.

The process of identifying the deceased and handing over the mortal remains to their family members was also under progress, they added. Officials said that the big challenge before the rescue teams was to trace the missing persons. The company management believes that the missing persons’ bodies might have been reduced to ashes in the highly concentrated chemical blast inside the factory.

Still, all kinds of steps were being taken to trace the persons missing since the explosion, officials said. Forensic teams were already on the job to look for possible samples of the mission persons on the premises of the entire factory.