Kakinada Firecracker Unit Blast: CM Naidu Suspends Four Officials; Announces Rs 20 Lakh Ex-Gratia
The Chief Minister expressed serious concern over the negligence of local officials and announced the suspension of four officials
Published : March 1, 2026 at 3:21 PM IST
Kakinada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has announced an ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh for the families of the people who lost their lives in the tragic firecracker explosion that claimed over 20 lives in Kakinada on Saturday. The Chief Minister, who visited the injured victims at the Government General Hospital (GGH), expressed serious concern over the negligence of local officials and announced the suspension of four individuals in a press meet. He assured the victims and their families of full government support during this difficult time.
Speaking to the media, the Chief Minister said, "This incident is extremely unfortunate. All the victims come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Among the deceased are 12 members of the Scheduled Caste and eight women. We take this incident very seriously. A similar incident occurred recently, prompting us to order an inquiry and take action."
The Chief Minister said that materials used in firecracker manufacturing are highly dangerous, and negligence in taking precautionary measures led to the accident.
"It is deeply distressing that such a tragedy has happened again. We are ensuring that the injured receive the best possible medical treatment. Additionally, a husband and wife were among those who lost their lives in this accident. The children of the deceased will be enrolled in residential schools to support their education," the CM added.
He announced the suspension of the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), District Labour Department Officer, and Fire Department Officer, holding them responsible for the incident. "A comprehensive inquiry will be carried out. Further action will be taken against others found responsible," he said.
The Chief Minister stated that CCTV cameras would be installed in such areas and monitored through a command-and-control system to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. Ministers Anitha and Kandula Durgesh, BJP State President Madhav, MPs Sana Satish and Udaya Srinivas, former minister Chikkala Ramachandra Rao and others accompanied the Chief Minister.
The owner of the Suryasree Fire Crackers manufacturing unit, Adabala Arjun, and his brother Veerababu (Nani) initially fled after the accident. Special police teams later tracked them down and took them into custody. Their father, Adabala Srinivasa Rao (55), died at the accident site. The process of conducting post-mortems and handing over the bodies to families began on Saturday night.
According to the police, the intensity of the explosion was so severe that the bodies were mutilated. Preliminary findings indicate that improper handling of sulphur in the firecrackers may have triggered the blast.
Forensic experts collected samples of chemicals and explosive materials from the site, and the exact cause will be confirmed only after detailed analysis, said Superintendent of Police (SP) Bindu Madhav. He added that two minor explosions occurred near them when they visited the accident site.
Sources said that a huge stock of explosive materials was being manufactured at the unit for competitions scheduled to be held at a function in Gokavaram mandal.
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