Andhra Pradesh road construction site explosion kills seven

A fatal explosion and fire occurred at a road-widening construction site in the Alluri Sitarama Raju district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday morning. The incident took place near Pinakota in the Ananthagiri mandal while workers were transferring diesel from a Bolero Camper to a tipper lorry.

The resulting blaze destroyed multiple vehicles and claimed the lives of seven people. Among the deceased was Jagarapu Sunitha, a 44-year-old government school teacher who was traveling to work when the blast occurred. Other victims included workers and individuals from various regions, including Bihar and Assam.

Superintendent of Police Amit Bardar stated that the incident appeared to be an accidental fire triggered during the refueling process. While initial reports suggested the involvement of gelatin sticks used for rock blasting, police and forensic teams reported finding no traces of explosives at the scene during their examination. District Collector T Nishanthi announced that compensation of Rs 5 lakh would be provided to the families of the deceased.