28
Feb
Kakinada (Gurpreet Singh)— The death toll from the catastrophic explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Vetlapalem village has tragically risen to 21, with eight others fighting for their lives in critical condition. The incident, which occurred at "Surya Sri Fireworks" (also reported as Suryashri) around 2:45 PM on Saturday, February 28, 2026, is now being described as the deadliest industrial accident in Andhra Pradesh in over a decade. The intensity of the blast was so massive that bodies were flung into the surrounding lush green paddy fields, and the sound of the explosion was reported up to five kilometres…