The blast was so powerful that bodies were scattered across the site, and nearby residences suffered significant fire damage. According to preliminary reports, approximately 15 people were working at the facility at the time of the explosion, as it was a Sunday
Visakhapatnam: An explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit near Kailasapatnam village in Kotavuratla mandal of Anakapalli district claimed eight lives and left eight others critically injured on Sunday afternoon.
K. Srinu, an injured worker from Kailasapatnam who survived the blast, recounted the horror: "I arrived at work around 9 am. The blast suddenly occurred around noon while we were working. I jumped from the building. We don't know how the fire started."
M. Appa Rao, a family member of J. Nagaraju, another injured victim, said that the incident occurred while workers were separating materials. He praised the quick response from officials, stating, "I brought my uncle to KGH after learning about the explosion from people at the scene." According to him, the facility housed both a firecracker manufacturing unit and a dairy farm with approximately 20 people working there on regular days and more than 50 during festival seasons.
S. V. Suresh, another family member of an injured victim, S. Govind, shared that his uncle wasn't employed at the factory but had gone there to purchase firecrackers for an upcoming festival. "My uncle had just come for lunch when this happened, and after he went there, the incident happened. He described the intensity of the fire, noting it reached approximately 150 meters high. "My uncle told me that sparks commonly occur during the material filling process, but the presence of prepared materials caused the fire to spread rapidly this time," he added.
KGH superintendent Sivananda explained the hospital's response and the patients’ condition, stating, "After receiving a call from the Visakhapatnam collector about burn victims being transferred from Anakapalli, we immediately prepared facilities at the plastic surgery department. We've isolated the patients to prevent infection spread rather than keeping them in the casualty ward."
Among the five patients at KGH, J. Nagaraju (50) suffered 90% burns, with doctors concerned about potential lung damage from chemical fume inhalation. Madagala Janaki Ram sustained 50% burns while C. Govinda (45) suffered 33% external burns. Two other patients, R. Santoshi (39) and R. Saroni (18), suffered a broken leg and minor burns, respectively.
Home minister Vangalapudi Anitha visited the injured at both Anakapalli and KGH government hospitals. "We have initiated an investigation into the incident. The government will cover all medical expenses for the injured, and an ex gratia payment of 15 lakh rupees will be provided to the families of the deceased," the minister stated.
Anakapalli SP Tuhin Sinha termed the incident as accidental, noting the facility was a legally permitted manufacturing unit with valid authorisation until 2026. "The workers were manually inserting chemicals into the firecrackers. While handling explosive materials like potassium nitrate, friction generated a spark that spread and led to the blast," he explained.
Sinha added that samples have been sent to the forensic science laboratory, and only after receiving the results can authorities determine whether the explosive materials were within permissible limits.
