Five Killed in Gelatin Stick Explosion at Road Construction Site

Andhra Pradesh : Alluri Sitarama Raju District, A powerful explosion involving gelatin sticks at a road-widening worksite in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju district claimed five lives on Saturday morning, including a government school teacher and four others associated with the road construction work.

The incident occurred between 8 am and 8.30 am near Pinakota/Gummanthi village in Ananthagiri mandal, a remote agency area of the district, while road-widening work was in progress.

According to preliminary reports, the accident occurred when workers were refuelling a vehicle, reportedly a pickup or tipper, with diesel. A fire is said to have broken out during the process and subsequently triggered the explosion of gelatin sticks stored at the site for rock blasting.

The blast was so powerful that two construction vehicles were completely destroyed. The explosion also resulted in the deaths of five people, leaving the area in shock.

School Teacher Among the Victims

One of the deceased was Sunitha, a government school teacher working at the MPP School in Maddirebu village under Pinakota panchayat. She was reportedly travelling along the road to attend her school duties when the explosion occurred. She died on the spot.

The other victims were identified as Mani, a worker from Devarapalli; Narayana Rao, from Cheedikada; Pavan Kumar, reportedly from the Kakinada/Kadapa region; and the driver of one of the vehicles involved in the work.

Police Launch Investigation

Police and rescue teams rushed to the accident site after receiving information about the explosion. Officials recovered the bodies and began examining the circumstances that led to the tragedy.

Superintendent of Police Amit Bardar initially described the incident as an accidental fire that broke out during refuelling. According to another police account, the explosion may have occurred after equipment carrying gelatin sticks malfunctioned during rock-blasting operations. The precise sequence of events remains under investigation.

Home Minister Assures Assistance

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha expressed grief over the loss of lives and spoke with the district Collector and Superintendent of Police to obtain details of the incident. She directed officials to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured and assured assistance to the affected families.

The incident has raised concerns over safety precautions during road construction, particularly the handling of fuel and explosive materials in remote areas.

The death of a teacher who was simply travelling to school has added to the grief in the local community. Authorities are continuing their investigation to establish the exact cause of the accident and determine whether any safety lapses contributed to the tragedy.