A powerful explosion at a chemical factory in India’s southern state of Telangana on Monday killed at least 10 people and injured several others, prompting urgent rescue efforts and a wider safety alert across the region.

The blast occurred at the Sigachi Chemical Industry located in Pashamylaram Industrial Area on the outskirts of Hyderabad. According to Indian media reports, a reactor exploded inside the facility, triggering a massive fire that engulfed large parts of the building.

Fire department officials confirmed that 15 to 20 workers sustained injuries in the explosion, which sent plumes of thick black smoke billowing across the area, causing panic among factory workers and nearby residents.

Local police and fire services swiftly launched a search and rescue operation, fearing that several workers might still be trapped under the debris. “Rescue and search teams have also been deployed at the site to find the trapped workers,” a local official said, adding that the area remains hazardous due to residual heat and possible chemical leaks.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, with injured workers being pulled from the rubble and rushed to nearby hospitals. “It was a deafening explosion, and within moments the building was in flames,” one survivor told a local news outlet.

The cause of the explosion is yet to be formally established, but preliminary investigations suggest a reactor malfunction could have triggered the blast. A detailed technical inquiry is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events that led to the incident.

As a precaution, authorities have put the entire industrial belt in Pashamylaram on high alert. Operations at several neighbouring factories have been suspended temporarily while safety inspections are carried out.

The state government has not yet issued an official statement regarding compensation for victims’ families or the status of occupational safety audits in the area. Civil society activists have criticised the lack of oversight, calling for stricter enforcement of industrial safety regulations.

Industrial accidents are not uncommon in India, where rapid industrialisation is often marred by poor enforcement of safety standards. The incident in Telangana has once again raised concerns about worker safety and emergency preparedness in hazardous manufacturing sectors.