4 die in accidental blast at illegal fire cracker unit in AP

Four labourers, including a minor, succumbed to injuries and three others were in critical condition after an accidental blast at an illegal cracker manufacturing unit near here, police said today.
Seven persons were seriously injured in the blast at a fire cracker unit in Maruvada village in the district on February 15, they said.
All the injured were initially taken to government hospital at Rajam but were later shifted to King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam, they said.
Ramulamma (68) and Durga Rao (45), both belonging to Bhasuru village, succumbed to injuries yesterday at the KGH hospital, district Superintendent of Police, A S Khan said.

Five-year-old Aparna died enroute to KGH hospital, while G Ganapathi (38) died undergoing treatment on Sunday night, he said.
According to doctors, condition of the remaining three persons is also stated to be critical as they suffered more than 80 per cent burn, the senior officer added.

Meanwhile, state Labour minister K Acham Naidu has announced an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh each to the family members of the deceased and also directed district collector to provide better medical aid to the injured.
Police have registered a case under IPC section 304 A (causing death by negligence) and relevant sections of Explosive Substances Act.

The injured family members were engaged in manufacturing fire crackers for festivals and marriages.
Similar blasts had occurred about three times in the same village. About three months ago, a similar incident took place in Ponduru village in which two people had died, sources said.