Alluri Sitharama Raju (Andhra Pradesh): Five people, including a schoolteacher, died on Saturday morning in an accident at a road-widening site in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitharama Raju district.

Superintendent of Police Amit Bardar said it was accidental, not a blast, and confirmed five deaths so far.

The incident took place at Pinakota village in Anantagiri mandal, where rocks were being cleared for the road expansion. Police said a special device with gelatin sticks was being used to break the rocks on the ghat road when the equipment misfired. Two vehicles were destroyed. 

Who died

A driver and three workers died, along with a teacher who was travelling the other way on the same road. The Hans India named four of the victims as Sunitha, a teacher from Visakhapatnam; Mani, from Devarapalli; Narayana Rao, from Chiedakada; and Pavan Kumar, from the Kadapa region. The fifth victim’s identity has not been confirmed in the reports I found. 

Rescue and investigation

Local revenue officials and police reached the spot and began rescue work. Police have registered a case, and an investigation into safety protocols during blasting is under way. Officials have not yet said who was responsible for the work or whether the required permissions were in place. 

What happens next

Several outlets report that more people were injured, but I found no confirmed number. The cause, the safety lapses (if any) and the contractor’s role are all still to be established. This report will be updated as police and district officials share more.

 

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