Sigachi blast: More human remains found; 13 bodies handed over after DNA matches

More human remains were recovered from the blast site at Sigachi Industries in Sangareddy district on Friday (July 4), five days after the explosion that killed 38 workers and injured over 30.

Officials confirmed that skeletal fragments found around 8 p.m. were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Hyderabad for DNA analysis. Sangareddy Superintendent of Police Paritosh Pankaj said that the process of identifying and handing over bodies to families was being handled with caution. “Whenever bodies are handed over, we are sending two constables along in the ambulance, all the way to the destination, whether it’s Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, or elsewhere. They return in the same ambulance. This is being done to ensure there’s no obstruction from local police, and all necessary clearances including NoCs are in place,” he said.

He also confirmed that DNA samples from the relatives of all missing workers have been collected. “Whenever we find skeletal remains, they are immediately sent for lab analysis,” he added.

So far, 13 bodies have been formally identified and handed over to the families after successful DNA matching. Officials say the ongoing DNA sample testing will help clarify the final tally of the dead and missing, as discrepancies remain.

Personnel from the Fire Department, SDRF, HYDRAA, Police and Revenue departments continue to comb through the debris. Search operations are expected to continue until all remains are recovered and the missing are accounted for.