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The death toll in the explosion in a firecracker manufacturing unit near Samarlakota in Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, February 28, has reached 20. Nine others were critically injured in the incident, which occurred around 2 pm at Suryashri Fireworks, near the Godavari canal in Vetlapalem, in Samarlakota mandal.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced that twelve of the victims of the blast were from Scheduled Castes, and nine were women.
The state government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 20 lakh for families of the deceased. Four officials have been suspended over the incident - the Revenue Divisional Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police, District Labour Officer, and the District Fire Officer. Further action will be taken based on the inquiry into the incident, CM Naidu said.
He added that the management of the factory did not take necessary safety precautions. He said they will be arrested and prosecuted based on the investigation, and their properties will be seized and handed over to the victims’ families.
Such was the impact of the explosion that the bodies of workers were thrown into the adjoining agricultural fields.
Panic gripped people in the surrounding villages as huge flames engulfed the crackers unit, triggering dense smoke. According to local people, explosions were heard up to 5 kilometres away.
The explosion shattered the windows of houses in nearby villages. The slab at a school in a nearby village developed cracks.
Firefighting personnel with two fire engines and other equipment rushed to the scene and doused the fire with the help of police and other departments.
All the workers at the unit were trapped in the fire. The bodies of some workers were blown to pieces and scattered in the fields.
With IANS inputs