7 killed in fire at Andhra cracker manufacturing unit  

Seven people were killed in a fire at a cracker manufacturing unit here in Konaseema district on Wednesday, said a police official.

Three people sustained injuries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the loss of lives was saddening and he extended his sympathies to the victims' families.

"I pray for the injured persons to recover soon," said Modi, according to a post on 'X' by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

According to Ramachandrapuram sub-divisional police officer B Raghuveer, a spark had ignited the firecracker stockpile, leading to a series of blasts and a huge plume of white smoke.

"The spark was produced while stuffing a cracker with the chemical, which resulted in the catastrophic explosions and the massive fire," he said.

The fire started around 1 pm at Sri Ganapati Grand Fireworks, which reportedly has been in the firecracker business since 1932.

Superintendent of Police Rahul Meena said the unit was licensed.

Raghuveer observed that the unit was repeatedly warned, twice in the past fortnight, and was also served notices by the Revenue Department officials.

As the firecrackers and the chemicals caught fire and started exploding, thick plumes of white smoke billowed from the unit, accompanied by fire in the lush green village.

Videos of rescuers carrying a severely injured person on a gunny sack by a paddy field went viral.

A body was seen lying on the floor of the manufacturing unit amid strewn bricks as the demolished shed smouldered for a while after water was sprayed to douse the flames.

Locals used a motor to pump water from a nearby tank for dousing the fire.

The manufacturing unit functioned out of an asbestos shed, which was seen burning, even as smaller firecrackers continued to burst in the aftermath of the fire.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed anguish over the deaths. He instructed officials to visit the accident site to oversee rescue efforts and promised support to the victim families.

Opposition leader and YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed shock and grief over the incident.

Conveying his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, he urged the government to extend generous support to them.