Factory fire death toll rises to 39; cause still unknown

The death toll from the explosion and fire at Sigachi Industries’ chemical factory in southern India has risen to at least 39, officials said yesterday, forcing the supplier of pharma products to shut operations for 90 days.

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The government of Telangana state, where the facility is located, has formed a five-member committee to probe the incident, the cause of which is yet to be disclosed by the company. The explosion on Monday also injured 34, according to officials.

“We are still clearing the debris,’ GV Narayana Rao, director of the Telangana fire disaster response service, told Reuters, adding that the building had completely collapsed.

“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,’ Rao said.