VISAKHAPATNAM: Seven people, including a government school teacher, were killed in a fire and an explosion at a road construction site in Bisimamidi village under Pinakota panchayat in Ananthagiri mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju district on Saturday morning.
The deceased were identified as Jagarapu Sunitha (44), a teacher at the Mandal Parishad Primary School in Madrebu; Manyala Manikantha (23) from Devarapalli village in Anakapalli district; Adiboyina Guru Pawan (27) from Mallepalli in Kadapa district; Pangi Chiranjeevi of Pedabayalu; Tinku Chandra Vamsi Singh, a JCB operator from Aurangabad in Bihar; Nazeer from Assam; and Mandala Narayana Rao from Suryanarayanapuram in Cheedikada mandal of Anakapalli.
Sunitha was on her way to school when the blast occurred. According to police, the incident occurred around 8.30 am while diesel was being transferred from a Bolero Camper to the fuel tank of a tipper at the site.
Blast took place during fuel refilling process, no explosives found: Police
Both vehicles belonging to the road construction contractor were parked next to each other. A fire broke out during the refuelling process, followed by an explosion that destroyed the tipper’s fuel tank.
The fire then spread to two drums containing about 250 litres of diesel kept inside the Bolero Camper, intensifying the blaze, the police said.
Speaking to TNIE, ASR district Superintendent of Police Amit Bardar said the incident was an accidental fire. Police and forensic teams examined the site to determine the cause of the fire and explosion. No gelatin sticks or traces of gelatin explosives were found during the examination. Further investigation is underway, the SP said.
District Collector T Nishanthi said arrangements were being made to provide a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the seven deceased persons’ families on behalf of the contractor. Insurance assistance would also be provided as per the applicable rules.
An eyewitness who was operating a machine at the site, said a vehicle carrying six people had stopped nearby. A helper and an operator had brought diesel to refuel the vehicle, he said.
“I was operating the machine when I turned in that direction, and an explosion occurred. I was terrified, and did not know what had happened. I got down from the machine, and went towards the spot. When I reached there, I saw that all the men had died. I then moved away towards a lower area,” he said.
Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha spoke to the Collector and the SP over the phone to enquire about the incident. She expressed condolences over the deaths, and directed officials to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured, and provide necessary assistance to those affected. She said the government would stand by the victims’ families.
Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav also expressed shock over the incident, and said the government would support the bereaved families. State Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Chakradhar Babu and Director of Public Health R Venkataramana briefed him on the incident.
The bodies were shifted to the Area Government Hospital in Araku, where post-mortem was being conducted, officials informed the minister.
