Twelve workers were killed and several others suffered injuries when a major blast ripped through a granite quarry in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district on Friday, August 3. About five workers also sustained grievous injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital.
The police said that the blast took place around 7.15 pm at the Hathi Belgal village and fear that the toll in the incident may rise.
The victims reportedly were labourers from Bihar, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and were breaking down stones and loading them on to trucks when the explosion took place. Eyewitnesses explained that there were several people at the site when they heard a loud blast and felt vibrations. Such was the impact that the sound of the blast could be heard about 10 km away.
The place was immediately filled with smoke and people were reportedly seen fleeing to save their lives.
While the exact cause of the blast is yet to be ascertained, it is believed that gelatin sticks on the site could have exploded. It is also being said that a diesel tanker was found at the site and could have triggered or fuelled the explosion, reported the Times of India.
The deceased are yet to be identified as their bodies have been left disfigured. Even those injured have reportedly sustained 70 percent burns.
As soon as the incident was reported, fire tenders and NDRF officials rushed to the spot and carried out search and rescue operations. "DIG and IG are at the spot and controlling the situation," director general of police RP Thakur told TOI. "Investigations are on and action will be taken against those responsible for the blast."
He also explained that labourers could have been cooking at the quarry premises at the time of the blast. This is not permitted as a quarry site has inflammable that could explode.
Meanwhile, Aluru MLA G Jayaram of YSR Congress party said the blast was very strong and he felt in a village he was visiting about 40 km away. "The quarry is situated in the middle of two villages. I think at least 15 persons may have died in the mishap. People of three villages ran for their lives as the blast shook the ground beneath them. Dozens of houses even developed cracks due to the impact of the blast," the Indian Express quoted him as saying.
He also said that he had earlier complained about the location of the quarry as it was a bit too close to the villages. "We demand a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 10 lakh to the injured. All the workers belong to Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Punjab," Jayaram added.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also said he was shocked and told officials to ensure that the injured received the required treatment.
