Published Feb 28, 2026 | 6:07 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 28, 2026 | 7:07 PM
At least 30 workers were present when the blast ripped through the shed around 2 pm. (Supplied)
Synopsis: The blast flung bodies around the shed where crackers were being manufactured. At least 30 workers were present at the time of the incident.
At least 21 people are feared dead in a blast at a cracker unit in Vetlapalem in Samalkot mandal of Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada district on Saturday, 28 February, afternoon.
According to sources, the blast took place in the cracker unit located on the bank of a Godavari canal in the village at about 2 pm. The victims included several women.
The blast flung bodies around the shed where crackers were being manufactured. At least 30 workers were present at the time of the incident.
A cloud of smoke enveloped the area for some time after the blast, along with leaping flames. The explosion was so powerful that its sound could be heard in far-off villages as well.
Those injured in the blast have been shifted to the Government General Hospital in Kakinada.
State Disaster Response Force personnel swung into action and helped in the evacuation of the injured from the site. As the unit was located right on the canal bund amid paddy fields, a search has been carried out in the
IT and Human Resources Minister N Lokesh expressed shock over the incident.
