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6 killed, 10 injured in blast at Vishakhapatnam firecracker unit
A blast in a firecracker-making unit in Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh killed six people and injured about 10 on Sunday.
A blast in a firecracker-making unit in Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh killed six people and injured about 10 on Sunday.
The incident took place around 5pm in the evening in Gokulapadu village, about 100 KMs from Vizag.
Villagers say that over 15 people - mostly women - might be working in the unit which was in tatters after the blast and the ensuing fire. Some of the bodies are said to be charred beyond recognition.
The injured were taken to the hospitals nearby. Senior district officials were rushed to the spot by the Andhra government.
Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock over the incident and ordered officials to ensure proper medical treatment to the injured. The state also announced Rs 2 lakh monetary aid to the families of the deceased.
A probe was ordered to ascertain reasons behind the incident. According to reports, the unit was being run illegally, and the owner has been taken into custody.
Firecracker units are common and explosions are not new to this part of Andhra. In October 2014, a firecracker unit explosion in the neighbouring East Godavari district killed 17 people – most of them women.
