9 laborers killed, several injured in limestone quarry explosion at Kadapa

Kadapa : At least nine persons were killed and several others suffered injuries when an explosion ripped through a limestone quarry at Mammilapalle in Kadapa district. Police are yet to identify the victims. Chief Minsiter YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has expressed shock and directed the collector to inquiry about the incident.

The explosion occurred when the gelatin sticks, believed to have been brought from Kadapa, were being stored in the warehouse. Experts from the bomb squad have been pressed into service to ascertain the exact cause of the blast, police added.

Cops at site, rushed the Injured persons to the nearby hospital, where the condition of few is said to be critical. Police suspect that some people might be trapped under the rubble. All victims were laborers. Police said the death toll may increase as some workers suffered severe injuries in the incident.

Though the quarry has been functioning with a valid licence, the stock of gelatin sticks might have been transported and stored illegally. The intensity of the blast was so huge that it was heard in surrounding areas.

This is a developing story