Andhra Pradesh cracker blast: Death toll rises to 17; unit owners booked

“Apparao is among the injured and undergoing treatment while Varaprasad is absconding,” he said when asked if any arrests were made in connection with Monday’s incident.

The private cracker unit is located at Vakatippa village under Uppada Kothapalli mandal near the district headquarters town of Kakinada, about 500 kms from Hyderabad.

Following the explosion, two sheds of the unit were completely gutted.

East Godavari District Collector Neetu Kumari Prasad, who has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, said, “17 persons, including 14 women, have died of burn injuries. Three others were undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kakinada, while one person was missing from the site.”

She said, “We are verifying whether the missing person was present at the site or not.”