20 killed in Andhra cracker unit explosion; PM condoles, CM Naidu announces Rs 20 lakh ex gratia

Vetlapalem (Andhra Pradesh), Feb 28 (PTI) As many as 20 people, including nine women, were killed and 9 others critically injured in the cracker unit blast here in Kakinada district on Saturday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said.

The CM ordered the suspension of four senior district officials for dereliction of duty and said an inquiry will be conducted into the incident to fix responsibilities.

Earlier, Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh and senior officials said the death toll was 21.

The blast occurred at 2 pm.

"It is painful and unfortunate. I visited the blast site. It is a heart-wrenching incident. This incident left 20 dead and nine are in critical condition. A total of 31 victims were there. Most of them belong to weaker sections. As many as 12 victims were SCs and nine were women. The government has taken the incident very seriously," Naidu told reporters after visiting the injured at a hospital.

The CM announced an ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh to the kin of the deceased. He also assured that the government will cover the medical expenses for the injured.

He also promised housing facilities, besides taking care of the education for the children of the affected families.

The CM said the assets of the perpetrators, who played with the lives of people by violating the rules, will be seized and distributed to the victims.

"Preliminary assessments indicate that whenever they (the unit) get orders they hire more people. But they have not taken any safety precautions," he said, adding that the factory has a valid license.

Minister Durgesh said this is the biggest blast in the state. Full details are yet to come. There is no chance that anyone would survive. Some people are undergoing treatment.

"We cannot bring back lives. It has come to my knowledge that there was a lot of stock in the unit (at the time of the blast). So even a minor accident may turn into a major one as all are explosive in nature," Durgesh told reporters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was pained by the explosion in the firecrackers manufacturing unit.

In a post on 'X', Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased while the injured would be given Rs 50,000.

"Pained by the loss of lives in the explosion at a factory in Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh. I extend my condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon," Modi said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also condoled the deaths.

"Deeply saddened by the tragic fire accident at a cracker factory in Andhra Pradesh. Rescue and relief operations are underway, and medical care is being provided to the injured. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the swift recovery of those affected," Shah said in a post on 'X'.

The intensity of the explosion at Vetlapalem village in Samarlakota mandal was so strong that bodies were flung into nearby paddy fields, a police official said.

Horrifying scenes played out amid lush green paddy fields as locals were seen shifting bodies in 'barakalu', sheets made of fertiliser bags.

Fire and smoke emanated from the blast site, even as ambulances rushed to rescue the injured.

Recounting the horror, a nearby villager said that the blast felt like an "earthquake striking the sleepy village." Doomsday scenes unfolded amid lush green paddy fields in the Godavari village, where burnt bodies, severed limbs, hands, and torsos were being recovered by rescuers and locals.

Police had to deploy drones to retrieve fragmented body parts of the victims.

A group of men were seen shifting a woman into an ambulance using a sheet made from plastic fertiliser bags (barakam), while a man with peeled-off skin from his left thigh to ankle and on both palms was being carried to safety.

A severed leg was found strewn at the accident site as smoke billowed and flames continued to rage from ground zero, with a large number of people involved in rescue efforts.

Immediately after the incident, CM Naidu expressed sadness over workers losing their lives at Surya Fireworks, an official release said.

"The explosion at a crackers manufacturing unit at Vetlapalem village in Kakinada district has really pained me. Multiple people losing their lives in this accident is sad," the CM said in a post on 'X'.

Naidu said he spoke to officials about the accident and directed them to extend immediate help to the victims.

"We are monitoring the rescue efforts and will come to the aid of the affected families," he said.

Naidu directed senior officials and ministers to visit the accident site.

The Kakinada Government General Hospital superintendent said the hospital received seven patients with burns ranging from 90 to 100 per cent. She said they are under treatment.

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, AP Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan and other leaders expressed sadness over the loss of lives in the blast.

The cracker unit blast in Kakinada district comes less than six months after the Rayavaram explosion in Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district, located less than 30 km away.

Similar to the Vetlapalem explosion, seven people were killed in Rayavaram on October 8, 2025, in the run-up to the festival of lights, Diwali, and familiar scenes played out. PTI STH GDK KH