The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Crackers claim two lives in East Godavari

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Monday, Oct 15, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Crackers claim two lives in East Godavari

Staff Reporter

Yeleswaram (East Godavari): In another explosion that took place in Yeleswaram of East Godavari district on Sunday, two children were killed and six others injured as crackers burst in the first floor of a building. Gantada Balaraju (12) and Mondem Rajkumar (8) succumbed to injuries in the hospital after the incident.

According to Superintendent of Police B. Srinivasulu, the incident happened in Yeleswaram Market area around 11.30 a.m., similar to the one in Rajahmundry on Friday, where one person was killed and five others injured.

Crackers were stored illegally in a kirana shop of Vetcha Nookaraju alias Pandu and he engaged about 15 children in making crackers as the schools declared holidays.

Schoolchildren studying in AMG School came to the shop as usual on Sunday and were asked to make cracker bombs in the first floor of the building. Suddenly there was a huge explosion around 11.30 a.m. and the entire building started caving in.

The owner Nookaraju immediately fled the scene. A few children on the first floor managed to escape safely while some got trapped in the debris.

About six to seven children were trapped under the roof of the collapsed building, and two of them were seriously injured. Assistant sub-inspector Narasimha Murthy and MRO of Yeleswaram rushed to spot and shifted the injured to a hospital, where two children died.

SP Srinivasulu said that despite raiding shops in Rajahmundry, Mandapeta, Samalkota, Amalapuram and Kakinada on Saturday, illegal stocks were plenty in small places and it became a cottage industry in the district.

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