Nearly six months after a catastrophic explosion at Sigachi Industries in Telangana, the families of eight workers, whose remains were never found, have finally been handed their death certificates. The somber ceremony took place at the Sangareddy collectorate on Monday, offering a long-awaited piece of official closure for the grieving kin.
A Long-Awaited Document for Legal Processes
The move to issue the certificates comes a day after the arrest of the company's chief executive officer, Amit Raj Sinha, who was remanded to 14 days of judicial custody. The tragic blast occurred on June 30 at the company's unit in the Pashamylaram industrial area of Sangareddy district, claiming 54 lives and leaving over 30 injured. These eight workers had remained unaccounted for as their bodies could not be retrieved for identification.
For families, the delay has meant a financial limbo. "Though the govt had promised to issue the death certificates in three months, it took six. Many financial processes — like claiming insurance — have been stuck because of it," said B Hari Babu, cousin of 28-year-old G Venkatesh from Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, who died in the blast. He highlighted the struggle for aged parents who depend on these formalities for support.
Families Highlight Ongoing Struggles and Delays
Apart from Venkatesh, the other missing workers were identified as Rahul Kumar Sharma, Ravi, Irfan Ansari, S Justin, Vijay Kumar Nishad, Akhilesh Kumar Nishad and Shivji Kumar. While most received the certificates, Shivji's family will collect theirs on Tuesday. Although each family had earlier received Rs 25 lakh in compensation, the absence of the death certificate blocked access to insurance benefits, property transfers, and other legal formalities.
Families are also awaiting the remaining compensation from the total Rs 1 crore announced. Bajrangi Lal Nishad, brother of victims Vijay (28) and Akhilesh (29) from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, pointed out that even the Rs 2 lakh compensation announced by the central government has not reached them. Vijay is survived by his wife, while Akhilesh left behind a wife and three children.
Administrative Error Adds to One Family's Pain
For some, the ordeal was compounded by bureaucratic errors. Umesh Chandra Sharma was dejected to find his brother Rahul Kumar's (29) home state incorrectly listed as Bihar instead of Uttar Pradesh on the death certificate. A daily wage worker, Umesh stressed how each day spent rectifying such mistakes strains the family's finances further. "First, I lost my brother and now even the death certificate has mistakes. Without it, we cannot even claim insurance," he said.
The issuance of the certificates marks a critical, though belated, step for the families of the Sigachi Industries tragedy. However, their journey towards full financial and legal resolution, and emotional closure, continues as they navigate pending compensations and corrected documents.
