Ignored Red Flags? Workers Warned of Risk Before Sigachi Blast, FIR Reveals

A preliminary investigation into the devastating blast at a Sigachi Industries facility near Hyderabad—which killed at least 36 workers—has pointed towards serious lapses in safety protocols and a possible malfunction in the factory’s critical temperature control systems.

Sources in Telangana’s Department of Factories suggest that a series of technical failures, including a possible breakdown of the interlocking safety mechanism, may have led to uncontrolled heat and pressure build-up inside the unit. This likely triggered the explosion at the facility, located in the Bhanoor industrial area of Sangareddy district, late Monday night.

“The interlocking system is designed to either raise an alarm or shut down the heating process if temperatures exceed safe operational limits. This appears to have failed,” a source familiar with the inspection told this correspondent, cautioning that further investigation is required to confirm the cause.

The factory, operated by Sigachi Industries Ltd, specializes in the manufacture of microcrystalline cellulose, a fine pharmaceutical-grade powder derived from wood pulp, widely used in capsules and tablet formulations. Officials indicated that the explosion may have occurred during the final heat-treatment phase, where the material transitions from wet pulp to a fine dry powder.

“There is a precise temperature window for this process. If it overshoots, both the product quality and worker safety are jeopardized. In this case, the temperature may have spiked uncontrollably,” the source added.

Investigators are also examining the role of filter and sieve equipment used during the final processing stages. “A malfunction in these systems—or an instrumentation error—cannot be ruled out at this point,” a senior factory official said.

The company’s senior leadership—including Managing Director & CEO Amit Raj Sinha and board members Rabindra Prasad Sinha (Chairman) and Chidambarnathan Shanmuganathan (Vice Chairman)—has come under increasing scrutiny, especially amid allegations that earlier warnings by factory workers were ignored.

An FIR registered at Bhanoor police station by Rajanala Sai Yashwant, whose father Venkat Jagan Mohan was among the deceased, states that employees had previously raised concerns about outdated machinery. “Despite repeated appeals, the management allegedly took no corrective action. The explosion could have been prevented had the machinery been upgraded,” the FIR alleges.

The complaint has led to charges under sections of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to culpable homicide, and causing grievous hurt. However, no company official has been directly named in the FIR so far.

Sangareddy Superintendent of Police Paritosh Pankaj said the FIR is being treated as a dynamic document and could be modified based on findings from the ongoing inquiry.

Meanwhile, the absence of top company officials at the site has sparked public outrage. Telangana Minister for Industries, D Sridhar Babu, criticized the leadership’s silence, saying, “It is the second day after this massive tragedy, yet no one from the company’s top management has come forward. They must face the law.”

Sigachi Industries, founded in 1989, describes itself as a “global leader in microcrystalline cellulose manufacturing,” with five advanced production facilities across India and a presence in over 65 countries, supplying to the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics, and nutraceutical sectors.

The tragedy has raised larger questions about industrial safety, corporate accountability, and the enforcement of labour rights in high-risk manufacturing zones. A full technical inquiry and a government-led investigation are expected to provide clarity in the coming days.

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