India chemical factory blast toll rises to 40
Industrial disasters are common in India, with experts blaming poor planning and lax enforcement of safety rules.
Factory owner Sigachi Industries said in a statement that 40 workers were killed and 33 others injured in the explosion in Sangareddy in India's southern Telangana state.
It increases an earlier toll of 36 dead.
The company said it offered compensation of 10 million rupees ($116,000) to the families of those killed, while those injured will receive medical support.
India's Sigachi factory fire death toll rises to 39; cause still unknown
The factory makes components that can be included in medical pills.
A fire department official told AFP on Wednesday that search operations were ongoing at the factory site.
State Chief Minister Revanth Reddy visited on Tuesday, with a video released by his office showing piles of twisted metal in the wreckage of the factory.
Reddy's office said a committee was investigating the cause of the explosion.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
19 hours ago
- Express Tribune
British High Commissioner condoles Lyari building tragedy
Listen to article British High Commissioner Jane Marriott has expressed deep sorrow over the collapse of a five-storey residential building in Lyari, Karachi, which claimed the lives of at least 27 people and injured 10 others. In a message posted on X, Marriott said she was 'deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life in Lyari following the collapse of a residential building' and extended her condolences to the affected families. She also praised the 'brave rescue workers who are working tirelessly under extremely difficult conditions.' Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life in Lyari after the collapse of a residential building. My thoughts are with the families and brave rescue workers who have worked tirelessly in the most difficult conditions. — Jane Marriott (@JaneMarriottUK) July 6, 2025 The tragedy occurred on July 4 in the Baghdadi area of Lyari when the dilapidated building suddenly came down. Initial police reports suggest that up to 100 residents were living there at the time—many of them women and several from the Hindu community. Senior police officer Arif Aziz told AFP that the building's collapse was sudden and attributed to structural weaknesses. Meanwhile, district government official Javed Nabi Khoso disclosed that authorities had issued eviction notices in 2022, 2023, and 2024. 'We don't want to impose our orders by force. We work in phases and send them notices… They didn't take the notices seriously,' he stated. Read More: Karachi's Lyari building collapse claims 27 lives as rescue operation concludes However, Imran Khaskheli—an owner and resident observing the rescue efforts—rejected the claim. 'Do you think we are out of our senses to stay in an unsafe building with our families?' he questioned. In the aftermath of the collapse, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) registered a case at Kalri Police Station against the builder and an unnamed contractor. The FIR alleges the use of substandard materials and illegal construction practices, endangering residents' lives and necessitating the building's sealing. Deputy Commissioner South announced that if any government officials are found complicit, legal proceedings will follow. He also assured support for victims to recover financial losses from the builder. Authorities have identified more than 50 buildings across Lyari as structurally unsafe, with six already evacuated since the incident, according to Khoso. The tragedy has once again highlighted long-standing concerns over illegal construction and lax enforcement in the city's underprivileged neighbourhoods.
Express Tribune
20 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Ship attacked in Red Sea near Yemen, likely by Houthis, say officials
Houthi fighters near red sea as a cargo vessel is in the background. PHOTO: AFP Listen to article A ship came under attack in the Red Sea off the southwest coast of Yemen on Sunday, a British maritime agency and a security firm said, in an assault that one of them said bore the hallmarks of the Houthi group. Maritime security sources said the vessel, which they identified as the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas, had taken on water after being hit by sea drones. The ship was first targeted by gunfire and self-propelled grenades launched from eight small boats, with armed security on the ship returning fire, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and British maritime security firm Ambrey said in advisories. Ambrey said in a separate advisory that the ship was later attacked by four Unmanned Surface Vehicles. Read more: US, Israel bomb Yemen "Two of the USVs impacted the port side of the vessel, damaging the vessel's cargo," Ambrey added. UKMTO said the attack resulted in a fire onboard and that the incident was ongoing. There were no reports of injuries among the crew, a source at maritime security company Diaplous said. The vessel's operator was not immediately available for comment. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Ambrey assessed the vessel "to meet the established Houthi target profile". It was the first such incident reported by the agencies in the area since mid-April. Tensions in the Middle East remain high over the war in Gaza and after the 12-day Israel-Iran war and airstrikes by the United States on Iranian nuclear sites in June. Sunday's attack occurred 51 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's port city of Hodeidah, the UKMTO and Ambrey said. Also read: Israel attacks secret Houthi meeting site in Yemen Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis launched more than 100 attacks targeting shipping from November 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel's war with Hamas. During that period, the group sank two ships, seized another and killed at least four seafarers in an offensive that disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to reroute, prompting the US to intensify attacks on the group this year. In May, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would stop bombing the Houthis in Yemen, saying that the group had agreed to stop interrupting important shipping lanes in the Middle East. Under the agreement, neither the US nor the Houthis would target the other, including US ships in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, Oman said in a statement at the time. Later in June, Yemen's Houthis threatened to target US ships in the Red Sea if Washington became involved in Israeli attacks on Iran. They have not specified whether they will follow through on their threat after the US attacked Iranian nuclear facilities last month.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Birkenstock cracks down on fakes in India, court-ordered factory visits held, sources say
NEW DELHI: Indian court-appointed legal representatives inspected small-scale factories in recent weeks to seize suspected counterfeit Birkenstock footwear, after the German brand launched an infringement lawsuit, people familiar with the matter said. Birkenstock's case is occurring around the same time other shoemakers are in the news in India. Crocs this month secured a court nod to pursue a nine-year-old infringement case, while Prada is facing heat over showcasing sandals similar to ethnic Indian footwear without initially giving credit to India. Reuters is first to report the Indian case details related to Birkenstock sandals, which have evolved from a counterculture symbol to a trendy fashion item, and are also popular in India. In May, Birkenstock filed an infringement lawsuit in the Delhi High Court against four footwear traders, four factories and two unnamed individuals. Its complaint stated an internal investigation found counterfeits were being made in rural areas in and around the tourist hub of Agra, and sold locally and exported to other countries. On May 26, Delhi judge Saurabh Banerjee issued a confidential order that was only made public on the court's website last week. It said 10 local lawyers were appointed as commissioners to visit the suspected factories. The judge said commissioners can 'seize, pack and seal the infringing products', and his order included photographs that Birkenstock submitted showing the alleged counterfeit footwear and shoe boxes with the company's branding. The visits have been completed and reports were submitted confidentially to the judge, the three people familiar with the matter said on Saturday, asking to remain unidentified. The next hearing in the case is set for October 6. The visits were conducted in Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, and in India's capital New Delhi, the people said, declining to give further details from their inspection. Birkenstock did not respond to queries from Reuters and its lawyers from Delhi-based law firm Lall and Sethi declined to comment, citing the pending legal case. In his May order, Banerjee said he reviewed photographs and samples of the alleged counterfeit products in court, and they 'seem like a cheap knock off' of Birkenstock products. 'There is all likelihood of the public getting deceived … The differences, hardly if any, are not something which can be discernable to the naked eyes,' he wrote. Once popular with hippies, tech enthusiasts and medical professionals, Birkenstock gained widespread attention after Australian actress Margot Robbie wore a pair of pink Birkenstocks in the final scene of the 2023 hit movie 'Barbie'. In February, a German court said Birkenstock sandals do not qualify as art and are therefore not protected by copyright, dismissing a lawsuit brought by the German company. In India, Birkenstock footwear for women is priced between $46 and $233.
