Blast in AP private quarry leaves 10 dead

HYDERABAD: Ten workers were killed and several others injured in a massive explosion of detonators in a stone quarry in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district on Friday night.

The incident happened at around 8.30 pm in private stone quarry belonging to one Srinivasa Chowdary at Hathi Belagal village of Aluru block. The impact of the explosion was so massive that huge blocks of stone from the quarry flung into air and fell on a workers’ shed in which nearly 30 labourers were taking rest after the day-long work.

The explosion resulted in eruption of flames from the quarry that spread to surroundings, engulfing three tractors, a truck and another shed, which got completely gutted. The blast also caused cracks in several houses.

Eight bodies were brought out from shed. Some more people were believed to be still crushed under the stone blocks.

The injured were shifted to Aluru government hospital immediately. All the workers are said to be from Odisha.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed grief over the mishap and asked the Kurnool district authorities to rush to the spot to oversee relief operations.

YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan expressed shock over the incident and conveyed their condolences to the bereaved families.

Pawan Kalyan appealed to the state government to take action against illegal quarry owners .