NEW DELHI: The death toll in a chemical factory blast in southern India rose to 45 on Tuesday as more bodies were retrieved from the rubble.
The facility at Pashamylaram near Telangana state's capital Hyderabad belonged to Sigachi Industries Limited.
It made microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), a clarified wood pulp in powder form used in industries such as food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
There were 143 people at the site when the blast occurred in a reactor and caused a huge fire, according to local media reports. The latest death toll was 45, with 35 reported injured.
Sigachi Industries said in a statement on Monday that the damaged plant will be shut for 90 days "to facilitate replacement and restoration of affected equipment and structures."
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said the state government will discuss with the company's management a compensation of 10 million rupees to each family of the deceased.
He criticised the company's response to the mishap. "More than 24 hours have passed, where is your MD (managing director)? He has to come," Reddy was quoted as saying in media reports. – BERNAMA
BINTULU, 1 Julai: Seramai 27 penghuni terselamat dalam kejadian kebakaran membabitkan lapan rumah di Kampung Sebuan Besar, Jepak di sini, hari ini.
Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (JBPM) Sarawak memaklumkan dua rumah musnah hampir keseluruhan, manakala enam rumah terbakar antara 10 hingga 100 peratus dalam kejadian itu.
JBPM menerima panggilan mengenai kejadian pada kira-kira jam 2.35 petang.
“Pasukan dari Balai Bomba dan Penyelamat (BBP) Bintulu tiba di lokasi jam 2.46 petang dan mendapati api sedang marak melibatkan lapan struktur rumah,” menurut kenyataan JBPM.
Menurut kenyataan itu, operasi diketuai Pegawai Bomba Kanan II (PPgB) Francis Aceh dan kebakaran berjaya dikawal pada jam 3.30 petang sebelum kerja overhaul dilakukan.
Operasi ditamatkan sepenuhnya pada jam 5.22 petang.
Pasukan bomba menggunakan konsep pemadaman R.E.C.E.O dengan satu aliran salur bantu mula, dua aliran dua bahagian sepanjang 600 kaki menggunakan tiga nozel dari pili bomba serta satu aliran 200 kaki dari jentera Scania BBP Kidurong.
JASIN: Kementerian Pembangunan Kerajaan Tempatan (KPKT) memperuntukkan RM165,000 untuk Program Baik Pulih Rumah bawah Program Pembasmian Kemiskinan Bandar (PPKB) di DUN Bemban.
Exco negeri Datuk Rais Yasin berkata, peruntukan itu melibatkan pembaikan empat rumah dengan kos RM20,000 setiap satu. Satu rumah lagi dibina semula dengan kos RM85,000 selepas rosak akibat bencana.
Setiap kerosakan dinilai oleh agensi berkaitan untuk menentukan kos baik pulih. Beliau berkata demikian semasa Program Sentuhan Kasih Majlis Perbandaran Jasin (MPJ) hari ini.
Sebelum ini, Rais melawat penerima program di Pondok Kempas dan Kesang Tua sempena Program Wakil Rakyat Untuk Rakyat (WRUR) DUN Bemban.
MPJ turut menyumbang barangan elektrik dan kit makanan kepada penerima. Rais berkata WRUR membantu menyalurkan aduan rakyat dan memastikan tindakan pantas diambil.
Salah seorang penerima, Rohana Mohamad Nasir, 66, bersyukur atas bantuan itu. “Sekarang saya tidak perlu risau bumbung bocor setiap kali hujan,” katanya.
Azmin said they would press for answers on the incident, which saw a massive fire engulf a gas pipeline in April, damaging hundreds of homes and injuring scores of people.
“We want to uncover any negligence or weaknesses in the approval process, whether at the level of the local authorities or state government,” he said in a statement.
Azmin called for a “free and thorough” investigation and said the report on the explosion had failed to answer key questions, despite police having classified the case as requiring no further action.
“We emphasise that this should not be viewed solely from a commercial aspect, but also through the lens of humanity and the safety of human lives,” he said.
Firefighters took nearly eight hours to extinguish the blaze, which left a 10m-deep, 21m by 24m crater.
The fire destroyed 81 houses, with structural damage exceeding 40%. Another 81 houses were partially damaged, and 57 were affected but not burned.