VISAKHAPATNAM: At least eight workers lost their lives, and eight others suffered injuries in an explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Kailasapatnam village of Kotauratla mandal, Anakapalle district, on Sunday.
The fire, which broke out following the explosion, spread rapidly through the unit, engulfing the entire premises within minutes and reducing it to rubble.
According to reports, the blast occurred when a large stockpile of firecrackers caught fire, triggering a series of explosions. A total of 16 workers were present in the unit at the time of the incident. The deceased have been identified as Dadi Ramalakshmi (35) of Rajupeta, Puram Papa (40), Gumpina Venubabu (34), Sangarati Govindu (40), and Appikonda Pallayya (50) of Kailasapatnam, Senapati Baburao (55) of Chowduvada, Devara Nirmala (38) of Vetlapalem, and Hemanth (20) of Bheemunipatnam.
Of the injured, six are undergoing treatment at King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam, while two others are being treated at the Narsipatnam Area Hospital.
Speaking to the media, KGH Superintendent Dr P Sivananda said, “Soon after we received the alert about the accident, all departments, including the plastic surgery, paramedical, and allied medical teams, were put on standby to attend to the victims. Upon their arrival at KGH, the injured were directly shifted to the burns ward operation theatre instead of the general casualty ward to immediately clean their wounds and prevent infection.”
He further stated that among the patients admitted, one man sustained 90 percent burns, another had 50 percent, and a third suffered 30 percent burns. “Though the burns are external, we are also monitoring for internal damage, especially to the lungs, as the victims may have inhaled chemical smoke. It will take at least two to three days to fully assess the extent of internal injuries,” he explained.
CM orders probe into blast, promises support to affected
Dr. Sivananda added that two women, though not severely burnt, sustained other injuries. “One woman has a fractured leg and is being treated by the orthopedic team. Another woman had only minor injuries,” he said.
All the victims will be kept under observation for at least three days, after which further evaluation will be done to determine any long-term risks and the necessary precautions. “We are updating senior officials regularly on the patients’ medical condition,” he added.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock over the deaths and spoke with the Anakapalle District Collector Vijaya Krishnan, Superintendent of Police Tuhin Sinha, and Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha. He instructed them to ensure that the best possible medical care is provided to the injured and ordered a detailed investigation into the cause of the explosion.
Officials briefed the Chief Minister that the condition of two victims remains critical. The CM assured support to the affected families and directed authorities to provide him with regular updates on the medical condition of the injured. He also inquired about the number of workers present in the unit at the time of the incident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured, to be provided from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister expressed condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, accompanied by MP C M Ramesh, Collector Vijaya Krishnan, Joint Collector M Jahnavi, and SP Tuhin Sinha, visited the accident site and the local government hospital. They inspected the location and coordinated the transfer of the injured to KGH and Narsipatnam hospitals. She also met with the families of the victims and assured them of support.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Anitha termed the incident as unfortunate and said preliminary information indicates that the unit had a valid licence until 2026. She confirmed that the explosion occurred during gunpowder preparation and that a forensic investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause. She added that clues, teams and forensic experts have been deployed to collect evidence.
She also announced an ex gratia of Rs 15 lakh each to the families of the deceased. She reiterated that, as per the Chief Minister’s instructions, the state government will bear all the medical expenses of the injured. Governor S Abdul Nazeer expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and directed the district administration to ensure better medical care for the injured.