Thick smoke billows from a firecracker unit in Konaseema district on October 8, 2025. File | Photo credit: PTI
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced an ex gratia of ₹ 15 lakh to each next of kin of the 10 persons who died in the October 8, 2025 explosion at the Lakshmi Ganapati Grand Fire Works in Rayavaram village of Dr. BR Ambedkar Konaseema.
Mr. Naidu along with Home Minister V. Anitha reviewed the report submitted by the two-member secretariat committee on Tuesday. MA&UD Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar and Inspector General of Police, Elite Anti-Narcotics Group of Law Enforcement (EAGLE), Ake Ravi Krishna were members of the committee.
The committee submitted a report on the cause of the crash to the Prime Minister. Of the 10 people who died, six were women and four were men, including the owner of the unit.
The report said there were 14 workers in one shed, violating safety standards. The use of iron rods led to a spark that caused an explosion in the production area. Authorities have confirmed that no safety regulations were followed at the site.
The Chief Minister directed the authorities to conduct regular inspections before granting or renewing licenses to fireworks manufacturing units. He ordered that CCTV cameras be installed in all production centers and that round-the-clock monitoring be ensured through a centralized control room.
To prevent illegal trade in explosive materials, Mr. Naidu directed that all future purchases be made through an online system to ensure transparency and accountability. He also directed careful supervision over the purchase and use of materials used in the manufacture of fireworks.
The Chief Minister said that unauthorized manufacturing centers or those violating safety rules should not be allowed under any circumstances. He directed officials to invoke the PD Act and initiate strict legal action against those found violating norms.
“All fireworks manufacturing units must operate strictly as per regulations,” Mr. Naidu said, adding that workers in such units should have personal insurance to ensure their safety and welfare.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ravi Krishna told The Hindu that technically the unit had dedicated sheds but they violated the rules during production.
He explained that according to safety norms, the management was supposed to use different halls for different purposes such as storage, production and filling of products. But they did all the activities in one shed. “Furthermore, they are not supposed to use any hard substances like iron in filling or making biscuits. Here they used iron rods,” he said.
Published – 21 Oct 2025 20:17 IST
