A chilling explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Vetlapalem village, Samarlakota mandal has killed at least 18 people and left six others fighting for their lives. On Saturday afternoon, Surya Fireworks (referred to as Suryashri Fireworks) reported a blast that had rocked the district. The explosion was powerful enough that in villages as far as 5 km from the blast, residents heard an "earthquake-like" sound. Local officials said that the blast in the explosion sent bodies into nearby paddy fields, adding to what responders said was a “war zone.”
Sequence of the Blast
At around 2 p.m., when close to 20 to 25 workers mostly women were working to produce crackers, a fire reportedly erupted in the chemical mixing area. Within seconds the fire triggered a chain reaction of enormous explosions. “The whole building was instantly destroyed. We found body parts scattered across the agricultural fields,” a senior police official said. The local administration used drones to locate victims in the surrounding lush green vegetation where the force of the blast had hurled them.
Medical Emergency and Rescue
The six injured survivors were immediately taken to Kakinada Government General Hospital (GGH). Medical superintendents confirmed many patients have sustained burn injuries of 90%-100%, putting them in extremely critical condition. Fire tenders from Samarlakota and Kakinada arrived on the scene to douse the smoldering flames, and the sporadic explosions of stored crackers hindered initial rescue efforts. Nearby locals helped carry the corpses of casualties with fertilizer bags and sheets in hand.
CM Naidu Pains Greatly About This Tragedy
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who is currently on a tour of Vizianagaram, said he was in shock about the disaster. Speaking on social media platform X, he wrote:
“The explosion at a crackers manufacturing unit at Vetlapalem village in Kakinada district has hit me hard. Multiple people losing their lives in this incident is extremely sad.” Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha and senior ministers in his capacity as Chief Minister have been directed to the site at once. He has also directed the District Collector and Superintendent of Police to arrange treatment of survivors at our hospital and to provide immediate financial support for the bereaved family members.
కాకినాడ జిల్లా వేట్లపాలెంలోని బాణాసంచా తయారీ కేంద్రంలో జరిగిన పేలుడు ఘటన తీవ్ర దిగ్భాంతిని కలిగించింది. ఈ ప్రమాదంలో పలువురు ప్రాణాలు కోల్పోవడం విచారకరం. ఘటనపై ఉన్నతాధికారులతో మాట్లాడాను. బాధితులకు అవసరమైన తక్షణ సాయం అందించాలని ఆదేశించాను. సహాయక చర్యలను పర్యవేక్షిస్తున్నాము. బాధిత…
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) February 28, 2026
Investigation Launched
A short circuit and a chemical reaction during the mixing process are believed to have been the leading cause. But the state government has mandated a high-level probe into these safety standards at the factory. Investigations will explore whether or not the factory operated under valid license, and whether necessary safety measures for handling explosive chemicals were ignored.
