Warangal: Locals of Keerthinagar in Warangal said they heard a loud explosion at about 11.30 am and ran out their homes thinking it might be an earthquake, only to find thick smoke billowing from the fireworks factory where an explosion killed eight persons.
Local youths L. Ramu and B. Motilal Naik who were among the first to arrive at the burning factory said they rescued three persons and shifted them to the hospital.
“For about 10 minutes we could not see anything except smoke as the fire crackers kept going off. When the smoke cleared, we went towards the factory and found severed limbs lying on the ground,” said Mr Ramu.
“We heard shouts from inside and found people blinded with some powder on their faces. We helped three people out of the premises including a woman. We found another woman but she was completely burnt by that time,” he said.
Locals said their houses had developed cracks because of the blast and some of their belongings were thrown to the floor.
The kin of the workers rushed to the spot and waited anxiously for news about their family.
Ms Urmila, a local, said two of the workers who perished in the fire — Srivani and Sravani — had five daughters. “They were from a very poor family. Their husbands work as autorickshaw drivers. It is sad to think about the fate of the children,” she said and asked the government to help the families.
