8 workers killed in major blast at fireworks factory in Andhra Pradesh's Anakapalli

At least eight people have died after a major blast at a fireworks manufacturing factory in Anakapalli district of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday (April 13), according to local authorities. All the victims were workers at the firecracker plant, located in Kailasapatnam village in Kotavuratla mandal of the district. N Chandrababu Naidu, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, expressed shock over the incident and said that all the injured people had been shifted to the hospital and were undergoing treatment. The eight deceased included two women, Home Minister V Anitha told news agency PTI. She said seven others were injured in the incident, adding she would visit them in the hospital.

Details
Nearly 15 people were working at the plant at the time of the incident, reports say. The number of employees present at the factory was lesser than usual as it was a Sunday. The bodies of those who died were yet to be identified. District Collector Vijaya Krishnan has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle.

Similar incident
Earlier in the month, a similar incident had taken place in Gujarat's Banaskantha district, where at least 18 people lost their lives and several others sustained injuries after a blast at a firecrackers factory. The fire had also led to parts of the factory building to collapse.