20 dead, most of them women, in Andhra Pradesh's worst firecracker unit explosion

Rescue operations were hampered as the factory is situated amid agricultural fields, with no proper access road for fire engines or ambulances. Waterlogged and muddy paddy fields prevented vehicles from reaching the site quickly, resulting in prolonged explosions. The injured victims, many with severe burn injuries, were shifted to hospitals with difficulty.

Eight critically injured persons were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Authorities said that most of the dead are believed to be women. Several bodies were charred beyond recognition. Dismembered body parts were found scattered across the site. Preliminary findings indicated that six sheds were erected in the fields for fireworks manufacturing. One Adapa Nani reportedly operated the unit.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who rushed to the scene, said nine of the injured were battling for their lives in the Kakinada government hospital in a critical condition. “Two injured persons are reported to be out of danger,” he said.