Konaseema fireworks explosion: Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announces ₹15 Lakh ex gratia to each of the victims’ kin

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has announced an ex gratia of ₹15 lakh each to the next of kin of the 10 persons who died in an explosion on October 8, 2025, at the Lakshmi Ganapati Grand Fire Works, at Rayavaram village in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district.

Mr. Naidu, along with Home Minister V. Anitha, reviewed the report submitted by the two-member committee at the Secretariat on Tuesday. MA&UD Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar and Inspector- General of Police, Elite Anti-Narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE), Ake Ravi Krishna were members of the committee.

The committee submitted its report to the Chief Minister on the cause of the accident. Of the 10 persons who died, six were women and four men, including the unit’s owner.

The report said that 14 workers were there in a single shed, in violation of the safety norms. The use of iron rods led to a spark, triggering the explosion in the production area. Authorities confirmed that no safety regulations were followed at the site.

The Chief Minister instructed the authorities to conduct regular inspections before granting, or renewing licences to the fireworks manufacturing units. He ordered that CCTV cameras be installed at all the production centers, and that continuous monitoring be done through a centralised control room.

To prevent illegal trade in the explosive materials, Mr. Naidu instructed that all future purchases be made through online system to ensure transparency and accountability. He also directed close surveillance of the procurement and use of materials used in the fireworks production.

The Chief Minister said that unauthorised manufacturing centers, or those violating safety rules, should not be permitted under any circumstances. He instructed the officials to invoke the PD Act and initiate strict legal action against those found flouting norms.

“All fireworks manufacturing units must operate strictly as per regulations,” Mr. Naidu asserted, adding that workers in such units should be covered under personal insurance policies 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 while manufacturing.

He explained that as per the safety norms, the management was supposed to use different sheds for different purposes such as storage, manufacturing and filling the products. But they did all the activities in a single shed. “Moreover, they are not supposed to use any hard substances such as iron while filling or manufacturing the crackers. Here, they used iron rods,” he said.