Explosion at illegal cracker unit in Nellore injures six

TIRUPATI: Six workers sustained burn injuries in an explosion at an illegal cracker manufacturing unit located in a casuarina garden at Mamuduru in Chejerla mandal of Nellore district on Sunday.

Two of the injured are critical.

According to the victims and locals, the illegal unit had been set up by a group of tribal people hailing from the Atmakur, Nellore and Damaramadugu areas. All the six injured, five of them tribals, had been busy making crackers on Sunday morning when the explosion occurred due to unknown reasons.

Locals alerted the police on hearing the explosion. A team of officials, including police, revenue and fire departments rushed to the spot. They shifted the injured to a nearby hospital.

Atmakur DSP B. Kota Reddy said action will be taken against those running the illegal cracker unit.

Among the injured workers K. Malli of Jonnawada and B. Mallikarjuna of Damaramadugu suffered severe burn injuries. They are currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Atmakur town. The other injured workers are Mani, Vijaya, Siva and Ramesh of Nellore. They are undergoing treatment at the government hospital in Nellore City.