A series of acute malfunctions that led to an unchecked rise in the heat and pressure in the working unit could be behind the fatal blast that killed 36 people at a Sigachi Industries factory near Hyderabad, a prima facie investigation suggests.

According to sources in Telangana’s department of factories, the interlocking system at the chemical unit may have malfunctioned, leading to an increase in heating at the facility. “The interlocking system basically sets off an alarm or cuts off the heat when it rises beyond a predetermined level. This system appears to have malfunctioned at the factory,” a source said, adding that a detailed probe will offer more clarity on what went wrong.

The malfunction could have caused the temperatures to rise to an alarming level and for the pressure to build, resulting in the blast, the source said, explaining that the heat has to be at a predetermined level, not just for safety but also to ensure the quality of the product.

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The company manufactures microcrystalline cellulose from wood pulp. “The product they manufacture has to be in powder form. It is used in pharmaceutical capsules,” an official source said. This powder is, however, not the first product that the factory has to deal with. “The powder form is manufactured from the wet product by increasing the heat. It is at this time that the blast seems to have taken place,” the official explained.

Investigators are also probing the possibility that the filters, which sieve the powder, malfunctioned. “There could have been an instrumentation error or malfunctioning of the sieves, which resulted in the blast,” a source said.

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Sigachi, which was incorporated in 1989, “is a global leader in manufacturing microcrystalline cellulose with a diversified presence in pharmaceuticals, food, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics,” its website says. The company has five advanced manufacturing facilities across India and exports to over 65 countries.

It serves clients across various sectors, including active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), food and nutrition, operations and management, cosmetics and personal care, and chemicals, with a presence in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and the Americas.

The FIR registered in connection with the blast also raises questions on whether red flags were ignored. It has been filed by Rajanala Sai Yashwant, 21, whose father, Venkat Jagan Mohan, died in the incident.

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As per the FIR, filed at Bhanoor police station under Sangareddy district police at 11:40 am on June 30, the complainant’s father and other employees had in the past informed the management about the need to change the machinery as it was old and could lead to a dangerous situation. “But, the company management turned a deaf ear to the workers and continued with the old machinery, as a result of which an explosion occurred in that company,” it alleges.

The complainant’s father, Venkat, 55, had been working at the unit for the last 20 years. The FIR has been lodged under sections of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and voluntarily causing grievous hurt. It does not name the company’s owners, promoters or managers.

Sangareddy Superintendent of Police Paritosh Pankaj said the FIR would be modified as the investigation progresses, and action would be initiated accordingly.

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“It is the second day after this huge mishap, but no one, not even the top leaders of the company, have made their presence here. They have to come and face the law,’’ said Minister for Industries, Information Technology, Electronics & Communications and Legislative Affairs, D Sridhar Babu.