10 killed in blast at limestone mine in AP

Amaravati: In a gory incident, at least ten workers were killed in a blast at a limestone mine in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, police said.

The toll is expected to go up as the dismembered bodies lay strewn all over the blast site.

Kadapa district Superintendent of Police K Anburajan said over the phone that the blast occurred when a consignment of gelatin sticks was being unloaded at a limestone mine on the outskirts of Mamillapalli village.

The vehicle was fully mangled under the impact of the explosion.

The gelatin sticks were brought from Budwel.

”It is a licensed limestone mine and certified operators had brought the consignment. The blast occurred when the sticks were being unloaded,” Anburajan said from the accident site.

The cause of the mishap was yet to be established.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy spoke to the Kadapa district officials and enquired about the explosion.

He expressed grief over the death of the workers and extended sympathies to the bereaved families, a CMO release here said.