Telangana pharma factory blast: Death toll rises to 35, DNA identification under way at Patancheru hospital

The death toll in the blast at a pharmaceutical unit in Sangareddy district has risen to 35, with Area Hospital, Patancheru, continuing to receive the charred remains of victims throughout the night. Hospital authorities fear the toll may increase further as more bodies are expected. Overnight rain in the premises of the factory affected rescue and recovery efforts.

“As of this morning, we have received 35 bodies in total. More are likely to arrive,” confirmed Dr. Srinivas Reddy, Superintendent of Area Hospital, Patancheru.

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Given the severity of the burns and the condition of the remains, hospital staff began collecting DNA samples late Monday night. “DNA tests were conducted on around 20 bodies overnight. We are continuing the process of collecting and storing samples. Once the DNA matches are confirmed with their relatives, the bodies will be handed over for transportation to their respective native places,” Dr. Reddy said.

A special forensic team from Osmania General Hospital was brought in to assist with post mortems and DNA sample collection. So far, autopsies have been completed on 15 bodies, with only four victims identified. The remaining bodies are being subjected to DNA profiling.

“The DNA collected is being sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for profiling and comparison with reference samples from family members to confirm identities. Telangana has not witnessed a mass casualty of this scale in recent times. This is going to be an extremely demanding task for all of us,” explained one of the attending doctors.

Officials from the State Health Department, including Director of Medical Education (DME) Dr. A. Narendra Kumar and Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP) Commissioner Dr. Ajaya Kumar, were present at the hospital throughout the night. They are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating the response effort.