At Least 36 Reported Dead After Pharmaceutical Factory Explodes in Southern India – Here’s What We Know

The death toll from an explosion at a pharmaceutical factory in Telangana, India, has risen to at least 36, with dozens more injured, according to local officials on July 1, 2025.

As reported by the Associated Press, fire crews found 34 burned bodies at the site, located about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Hyderabad, according to G.V. Narayana Rao, the state’s fire services chief. Two more workers died later in the hospital from severe burns.

“The whole structure of the factory has collapsed. Fire has been doused, and we hope to finish removing the debris in the next few hours,” Rao said, adding that debris was still being cleared to check if anyone remained trapped.

The incident occurred on Monday, June 30, in the factory’s spray dryer unit, a critical part of the drug manufacturing process. The plant, reportedly operated by Sigachi Industries, had 108 workers on site when the explosion happened.

Witnesses reported hearing the blast from several kilometers away. Emergency crews have been working to remove debris and locate any additional victims.

After the charred bodies were recovered, Telangana Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha stated, “As bodies were badly burnt and mutilated, a special medical team has been deployed to conduct DNA tests.” Meanwhile, the state government has set up a panel to investigate the cause of the deadly explosion.

Sigachi Industries, which produces microcrystalline cellulose and other pharmaceutical ingredients, called the explosion “unfortunate” in a disclosure to the Bombay Stock Exchange. Sigachi confirmed significant structural damage and announced a 90-day suspension of operations at the affected site.

The facility accounts for over a quarter of its annual production capacity. The firm reportedly operates five manufacturing facilities across India and maintains subsidiaries in the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

Following the explosion, Sigachi’s shares reportedly fell 8% on Tuesday, July 1, extending a nearly 10% drop from the previous day.

The tragedy in Telangana came just weeks after another disaster struck India’s aviation sector. An Air India (AI) flight bound for London tragically crashed on Thursday, June 12, just minutes after taking off from the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad.

While authorities continued to confirm the details, grieving families were left to mourn the loss of their loved ones.

The incident involved flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8, which was carrying 244 people—232 passengers and 12 crew members—according to officials. Of the 232 passengers, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were British, while one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals were also among those traveling.

A further breakdown revealed that the passengers included 217 adults, 11 children, and two infants. The total number of fatalities had yet to be confirmed at the time.

“Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest on http://airindia.com and on our X handle (https://x.com/airindia),” a spokesperson for Air India confirmed on X.

The aircraft had departed at 1:38 p.m. local time. It was scheduled to land at London’s Gatwick Airport at 6:25 p.m. According to data from Flight Radar, it lost signal just seconds after takeoff, having reached an altitude of 625 feet.

Before communication with the aircraft was severed, the aircraft issued a mayday alert to air traffic control. No further communication followed after the distress call.

The plane went down in a residential area called Meghani Nagar, crashing into a medical college hostel, only five minutes into the flight. The densely populated neighborhood lies near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, a city of over 5 million residents.

Visuals aired on local news channels showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the crash site as emergency crews rushed to the scene.

Weather conditions were reported to be calm and clear at the time of the crash, according to flight safety expert Marco Chan. Aviation forecasts indicated light surface winds and visibility of around six kilometers, with no severe weather, storms, or wind shear present that could have impacted the flight.

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, confirmed the location of the crash and the number of people on board.

India’s Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, shared that emergency response teams had been dispatched to the scene, with efforts underway to provide immediate medical assistance and necessary relief to those affected.

“We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” he noted. “My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.”

Operations at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport have been suspended, with the airport remaining closed until further notice.

Meanwhile, local politician Darshna Vaghela told reporters that several doctors’ flats in the area were damaged in the crash. He said he was nearby at the time and helped rescue many of the residents from their homes.

According to local media reports, the aircraft came down on the dining hall of the government-run B.J. Medical College hostel.

Footage aired showed part of the plane lodged on top of the building. “We are still verifying the number of dead, including those killed in the building where the plane crashed,” Vidhi Chaudhary, a top state police officer, said.

A parent, Ramila, shared that her son had just entered the hostel for a lunch break when the plane crashed. He jumped from the second floor and was injured, but was later reported safe.

Anxious relatives gathered outside hospitals in Ahmedabad awaiting news of loved ones have also spoken out. Among them was Poonam Patel, who said his sister-in-law had been on the London-bound flight. “Within an hour, I got the news that the plane had crashed. So I came here,” he said.

Records show the crashed aircraft frequently operates routes between India and cities such as Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Amsterdam, and Melbourne. This marks the first-ever crash involving a Boeing 787-8, a significant moment for the aircraft that has maintained a strong safety record since its launch 14 years ago.

Known as the Dreamliner, the model recently celebrated a major milestone, having transported a billion passengers across nearly five million flights. The global fleet of more than 1,175 Dreamliners has accumulated over 30 million flight hours.

The incident was a serious setback for Boeing, which had already been under pressure due to ongoing issues with its 737 aircraft line. It also posed a new challenge for CEO Kelly Ortberg, who was nearing his one-year mark at the helm and had been appointed to help steer the company through mounting concerns about its operations and reliability.

The last deadly aviation accident in India occurred in 2020, resulting in 21 deaths. An Air India Express flight, part of the airline’s budget division, overshot a tabletop runway at Kozhikode International Airport in the south.

The Boeing 737 skidded, plunged into a valley, and crashed nose-first. Since then, Air India has undergone significant changes. Once state-run, the airline was acquired by the Tata Group in 2022 and later merged with Vistara — its joint venture with Singapore Airlines — in 2024.

Videos and reports later revealed the scale of devastation after the aircraft struck a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad. The AI Flight 171 crashed into the residential hostel of B.J. Medical College and Hospital, where dozens of medical students were staying.

According to CNN, the Federation of All India Medical Association said that between 50 and 60 students were admitted to local hospitals. Additionally, two to three are in intensive care, and about four to five remain missing.

The federation also reported that three to four relatives of resident doctors are missing, and the wife of one resident was confirmed dead. It also issued a public appeal for urgent blood donations.

The tragedy fully unfolded. A senior doctor at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital told CNN that at least 290 people have died, including passengers — some of them minors — local residents, and individuals inside the hostel at the time of the crash. According to ABC News, only one person survived.

Wreckage from the plane littered the campus, as shown in footage posted by the Instagram account India Forums, where part of the aircraft had torn into a hostel housing dozens of medical interns. One image shows a man alone in a dim corridor, carefully navigating a mound of debris.

From another angle above, crowds gather on what remains of an upper floor. Rubble overflows from the broken walls as responders continue searching through the wreckage for signs of life.

Inside the dining hall, tables remain upright, but thick layers of dust and debris cover abandoned trays and half-eaten meals — a haunting snapshot of how abruptly normal life was disrupted.

Another frame captures the urgency of the rescue as dozens of responders and civilians climb over rubble and unstable surfaces to continue the search. Cracked walls and dangling debris underscore the dangerous conditions they faced.

Outside, part of the plane’s tail is seen lodged deep into the side of a campus building. Onlookers and officials gather below the jagged wreckage, which now looms over the street like a monument to the crash’s violence.

Another scene shows charred remains at the crash site’s entrance. Burned vehicles, office furniture, and scorched walls are taped off as investigators and police examine the area.

In one ABC News segment, Retired Colonel Stephen Ganyard of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) discussed the crash alongside a view of the embedded aircraft tail.

Elsewhere, emergency teams in orange uniforms stand around a stretcher amid charred debris, their presence highlighting the urgency and scale of the recovery effort.

Investigations into both incidents remain ongoing, with officials working to determine the causes and assess the full impact