Andhra Pradesh: At least 20 people were killed in an explosion at a firecracker manufacturing factory in Vetlapalem village of Samarlakota mandal in Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.
Several people were injured in the massive blast and there were fears that the fire would spread to nearby villages.
Locals, who described the blast as an “earthquake-like” one, said that thick smoke was seen after the blast and that the crackers stored inside the unit kept exploding intermittently, adding to the fear.
The injured have been shifted to the Government General Hospital in Kakinada, where fire and emergency personnel are carrying out rescue operations.
The intensity of the blast in Vetlapalem village of Samarlakota mandal was so strong that bodies were thrown into nearby paddy fields, a police officer said.
Seven patients suffering from 90 to 100 percent burns have been admitted to our hospital, said the superintendent of the Kakinada Government General Hospital.
The horrific scene of the explosion was seen amidst lush green paddy fields, with locals seen moving the bodies using tarpaulins made of fertilizer bags.
The police have deployed drones to locate body parts dumped in nearby fields.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who is on a tour of Vijayanagar, reviewed the situation with senior officials and got details about the cause of the explosion and relief measures. He also asked ministers and top officials to visit the spot.
“The explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Vetlapalem village in Kakinada district has really pained me. It is sad that so many lives have been lost in this tragedy,” Naidu said.