Jaganmohan Reddy visits cracker blast site, meets injured labourers

RAJAHMUNDRY: YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy today visited the village in Andhra Pradesh's East Godavari district where fire at a firecracker-making unit recently claimed 17 lives.
Reddy visited the accident site in Vakathippa village of the district's Uppada Kothapalli mandal and also enquired about the health of the injured persons who are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kakinada.

He met the family members of those who died in the blaze and assured them all help.

East Godavari District Collector Neetu Prasad today handed over cheques of Rs 3 lakh each to the families of the deceased persons.

However, Jagan said the compensation was inadequate and the kin of the deceased labourers should be given at least Rs five lakh each.

Seventeen persons, including 14 women, had died of burn injuries in the mishap. Three others were undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kakinada, while one person was missing from the site, Prasad had said yesterday.

She had earlier ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.

A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and negligence under relevant sections of IPC besides under Explosives Act has been registered against K Apparao and Satya Varaprasad, the unit owners, police said.

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