20 killed in blast at cracker unit near Kakinada
KAKINADA: At least 20 persons were charred to death and 15 other received severe injuries in Vakatippa village of Uppada Kothapalli mandal near Kakinada, when an explosion occurred at a cracker manufacturing unit on Monday.
While the injured were rushed to the government general hospital at Kakinada and the government hospital at Pithapuram, the police fear that the death toll may rise.
Chaos prevailed in the village as the locals rushed to the cracker manufacturing unit when the explosion occurred.
Initial reports indicated that the mishap occurred when some of the employees were preparing tea. Among the injured, there are workers and a few customers who came to purchase crackers.
Koppisetti Ramana who is running the licensed crackers manufacturing unit since two decades in the village, was also injured.
The police who rushed to the spot along with the fire tenders, had to fight the flames for over two hours to bring them under control. The fire spread rapidly to nearby shops gutting many into ashes, before fire was brought under control.
Pithapuram sub-inspector Sanyasi Naidu who was carrying out the rescue operations told the media that seven injured persons were shifted to hospital.
Eye-witnesses said that the conditions of some of the injured are very serious. They said that the factory premises brought back the memories of the Nagaram gas blast that they witnessed on news channels.
Immediately after learning about the incident, collector Neethu Prasad, superintendent of police M Ravi Prakash, MP Thota Narasimham, Pithapuram MLA Varma, and other officials rushed to the spot. The officials took up relief operations and shifted the injured to the hospitals.
Deputy chief minister and home minister Nimmkayala Chinna Rajappa said stern action will be taken against the crackers manufacturing unit, if any norms were violated. A detailed enquiry also will be conducted in this regard.
News Posted: 20 October, 2014
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