VISAKHAPATNAM: Seven persons have died in an explosion involving gelatine sticks being used for constructing a road near Peechumamidi village of Pinakota panchayat in Ananthagiri mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju district on Saturday.

According to police, the explosives had been brought for cutting through a hill as part of constructing the road. However, the blast occurred prematurely.
Those killed have been identified as Jagarapu Sunitha, 44, a teacher at an MPP school in Visakhapatnam district, Manyala Manikanta, 23, of Devarapalli in Anakapalli district, Adiboyina Guru Pavan, 27, of Mallepalli village in Kadapa district, Pangi Chiranjeevi of Pedabayalu, Tinku Chandra Vamshi Singh, a JCB operator from Aurangabad in Bihar, Nazir of Assam, and Mandala Narayana Rao of Suryanarayanapuram village in Chidikada mandal of Anakapalli district.
Teacher Sunitha had reportedly been on her way to school when the explosion occurred. Her death has upset the local community as she had been a dedicated teacher.
Former CPM ZPTC member for Ananthagiri Deesari Gangaraju demanded that the state government provide comprehensive support to the bereaved families. He sought a thorough inquiry into the circumstances leading to the blast.
District collector T. Nishanthi expressed shock over the deaths of seven people. Describing the incident as tragic, she conveyed her condolences to their families.
She announced that the contractor would provide ₹5 lakh in compensation to each of the affected families. Affirming that the district administration would stand firmly with the bereaved families, the collector said it would provide all necessary assistance and support to families of the deceased during their difficult time.
The incident has sparked calls for stricter monitoring and handling of explosive materials at road construction or other infrastructure project sites.


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