Gelatin stick explosion claims 7 lives in ASR dist

Anantagiri: Seven persons, including a schoolteacher, were killed in a massive explosion involving gelatin sticks near Pinakota in Anantagiri mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju district on Saturday. The incident occurred during road construction work, triggering shock and grief across the remote tribal region.

According to preliminary information, gelatin sticks brought for blasting a hill as part of road construction work were kept in a lorry used for the project. A fire reportedly broke out while diesel was being filled into the vehicle, triggering a series of explosions.

Seven persons, including the driver and five workers, died in the incident. A teacher who was passing through the area also lost her life. Two vehicles were reportedly damaged in the explosion.

The deceased were identified as teacher Sunitha of Visakhapatnam, Mani of Devarapalli, Narayana Rao of Chodavaram and Pawan Kumar of Kadapa. The identities of the remaining three victims were yet to be established.

Police and officials rushed to the spot and reviewed the situation. The circumstances leading to the fire and subsequent explosion were being examined.

Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha spoke to the Alluri Sitarama Raju District Collector and Superintendent of Police over the phone following the incident. She directed officials to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured and assured them that the government would stand by the bereaved families.

Former CPM ZPTC member from Anantagiri Disari Gangaraju and CPM district committee member K. Govinda Rao expressed deep shock over the tragedy and conveyed their condolences to the families of the deceased. They demanded a comprehensive inquiry into the incident and strict action against those found responsible for negligence or lapses in safety arrangements.

The CPM leaders also called for stringent safety measures during road construction, particularly in the handling and use of explosives, to prevent similar accidents.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deekshitula Subrahmanyam

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Deekshitula RV Subrahmanyam is a Staff Reporter with The Hans India, covering the erstwhile East and West Godavari districts, along with Alluri Sitarama Raju and Polavaram districts. A journalist with experience of over three decades, he began his career as a Telugu mofussil reporter in 1991. He writes extensively on politics, tribal affairs, rural development, tourism, development, and human-interest stories He is the author of the six-part Telugu prose Ramayana Sitarama Kathasudha and has received several literary and journalistic honours, including the JCI Young Writer Award, Vadlamudi Rammohan Rao Memorial Award and Madduri Annapurnayya Memorial Award.

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