Eleven dead, 8 injured in Andhra Pradesh stone quarry blast; CM Chandrababu Naidu announces ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh

Eleven people died in a powerful explosion in a stone quarry in Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh on Friday night, reports said. The explosion occurred when regular quarrying work was being carried out in the quarry in Hathi Belgal under Aluru block, an investigating officer told PTI.  All the victims are said to be from Odisha and had come to Kurnool for work. [caption id=“attachment_4890521” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “At least 20 workers were said to be at the spot when the gelatine sticks used for blasting the quarry exploded. The sudden explosion trapped the workers, triggering the fatalities,” an officer said. Search is on to trace if there are any survivors trapped in the debris, he added. Earlier reports said that at least eight were injured in the blast and were shifted to a nearby hospital. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the victims. ANI reported that Naidu has also asked Deputy Chief Minister KE Krishnamurthy to visit the quarry and monitor operations. The chief minister also spoke to district authorities and directed them to ensure proper treatment of the injured. Leader of Opposition YS Jaganmohan Reddy and JanaSena Party chief Pawan Kalyan also expressed grief and extended sympathies to the bereaved families. With inputs from agencies