Kakinada crackers unit blast: At least 21 dead, 8 critically injured

At least 21 people were killed and eight others critically injured in a powerful explosion at a firecrackers manufacturing unit in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada district on February 28, news agency PTI reported quoting state minister Kandula Durgesh.

The blast occurred around 2 pm at a unit identified as Surya Fireworks in Vetlapalem village of Samarlakota mandal. Durgesh said 21 bodies were found at the site, while eight injured persons were undergoing treatment in hospitals. Around 30 people were present in the unit at the time of the explosion.

He described the incident as the biggest blast in the state, noting that full details were still awaited. Given the scale of the explosion, he said there was little chance of survival for those trapped inside. Officials have begun an inquiry into the cause of the fire that triggered the blast. The minister added that a large stock of explosive material was stored in the unit, which meant even a minor accident could have escalated into a major disaster.


All the workers were from economically weaker sections of society, and the state government would take a decision on supporting the bereaved families. However, he said, no compensation could bring back the lives lost.

The intensity of the explosion was such that bodies were flung into nearby paddy fields. Police said drones were deployed to locate body parts scattered across adjoining agricultural land. Locals were seen shifting bodies using makeshift sheets fashioned from fertiliser bags, even as fire and smoke billowed from the site. Ambulances rushed the injured to nearby hospitals.

The superintendent of the Kakinada Government General Hospital said the facility received seven patients with burn injuries ranging between 90% and 100%, and that they were undergoing treatment.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is expected to visit the site. In a statement, he expressed deep anguish over the deaths of a large number of cracker manufacturing workers and said he had spoken to officials, directing them to extend immediate assistance to the victims. He added that the government was closely monitoring rescue operations and would support affected families. Senior officials and ministers have been instructed to visit the accident site.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was pained by the loss of lives in the explosion and extended condolences to the bereaved families. He announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased, while the injured would receive Rs 50,000.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also condoled the deaths, stating that rescue and relief operations were underway and that medical care was being provided to the injured, while expressing sympathy for the affected families.