23 perish in massive firecracker factory blast

Rajamahendravaram: A horrific explosion ripped through a firecracker manufacturing unit at Vetlapalem village in Samarlakota mandal of Kakinada district on Saturday afternoon, leaving at least 23 people dead and at least two others critically injured. The incident occurred at Suryasri Fireworks, located, strangely, amid agricultural fields, adjacent to the Godavari Canal. The blast took place around 2:00 pm when operations were in full swing. According to local reports, the explosion was so powerful that its boom was heard within a 5-kilometre radius. The initial blast was of such intensity that bodies and body parts of those in its vicinity were scattered across nearby paddy fields, according to a police official. The collateral damage too was severe, causing structural damage to nearby buildings, including a private school in a neighbouring village, in which cracks reportedly appeared in the concrete ceiling.

The overall scene was gory, with the manufacturing unit razed and 18 workers were charred to death on the spot. Three more victims succumbed to their injuries within a gap of two hours while undergoing treatment at the hospital. Late in the evening on Saturday, five of those receiving treatment reportedly succumbed to their injuries, taking the death toll to 23.

Most of the deceased are reported to be women who had been engaged in the manufacturing process at the time of the blast.

Thick plumes of smoke, which had enveloped the area for hours, were visible from several kilometers away. Firefighting teams and local authorities, despite rushing to the spot, could not reach the blast site easily.

Firefighters began dousing the flames and initiated rescue operations. Initial findings suggest that the force of the blast scattered the debris of the shattered factory over a wide area, intensifying the fire and making it difficult for the workers to escape.

Tourism Minister K Durgesh told reporters at the spot: "This is the biggest blast in the state. Full details are yet to come. There is no chance that anyone would survive. Some people are undergoing treatment.” The Kakinada Government General Hospital superintendent said the hospital received seven patients with burns ranging from 90 to 100 per cent. She said they are under treatment.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has expressed his sadness over a large number of cracker manufacturing workers losing their lives at Surya Fireworks, said an official release. "The explosion at a crackers manufacturing unit at Vetlapalem village in Kakinada district has really pained me. Multiple people losing their lives in this accident is sad," Naidu said in a post on 'X'.

Naidu later said he had spoken to officials about the accident and directed them to extend immediate help to the victims. "We are monitoring the rescue efforts and will come to the aid of the affected families," he said.

At his instance, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha rushed to the spot and directed district officials to supervise relief measures and ensure that the injured receive the best possible medical care.

Authorities have launched a probe to determine if the unit was operating with valid licences and whether safety protocols were being followed.

The blast in the fireworks unit has left the locals in the vicinity in a state of profound shock. Residents say the conditions at the factory site were the primary reason for the severity of the blast. With the first explosion triggering subsequent mini blasts, presumably from the explosive and combustible material stored on the premises, the inferno continued for over two hours, making it impossible for even willing locals to reach the affected area initially.

In a video that went viral, a smaller explosion was seen detonating with flying sparks as people tried to douse the flames using a water pipe. Several trees near the blast site were burnt, along with some nearby haystacks, while the entire facility housing the crackers unit was blown up, and a nearby shed was also destroyed.

By the time a few brave individuals managed to enter ground zero of the blast site; many of the victims had already been charred due to the fire. The scene was gruesome, with body parts found scattered across the area.

Since the fireworks unit was located inside agricultural fields, there was no easily accessible path for fire engines or ambulances. Since the surrounding paddy fields were muddy, rescue vehicles were unable to move when the explosions were continuing for a long time, and the situation at the site turned chaotic.

Some of those who were burnt and severely injured in the flames were shifted to the hospital with great difficulty. Horrifying scenes played out amid lush green paddy fields as locals were seen shifting bodies in 'barakalu' -- sheets made of fertiliser bags. Burnt bodies, severed limbs, hands, and torsos were recovered by rescuers and the locals. Police deployed drones to locate body parts flung into nearby agricultural fields.

11 bodies identified

Police have identified 11 bodies among the deceased so far. The victims have been identified as Adabala Srinu, Kadimpalli Krupamma, Kadimpalli Dhanaraju, Sadhana Satyaveni, Paturi Ravi, Mandapalli Chinni, Nimmada Karuna, Gampala Manga, Godata Mahesh, Godata Ramu, and Godata Nani.

Superintendent of Police Bindu Madhav stated that a few more bodies are yet to be identified.