SYLLABUS

GS-3: Environment conservation, Environment pollution.

Context: 

Recently, a massive explosion at a firecracker unit in Andhra Pradesh’s Konaseema district claimed several lives, highlighting lapses in industrial and fire safety protocols.

More on the News

• The tragic incident occurred on October 8, 2025 at the Lakshmi Ganapathi Fireworks Unit located in V. Savaram village of Rayavaram Mandal in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district, Andhra Pradesh  where at least six workers lost their lives, and four others were injured.
• The district authorities imposed a three-day ban on firecracker manufacturing and ordered a fresh safety audit of all such units in the district.
• The incident follows similar accidents in previous years, underscoring recurring safety gaps in the firecracker industry despite prior audits.

Key Reasons Behind the Accident

• Preliminary reports suggest that an electrical short circuit might have triggered the explosion while workers were handling combustible materials.
• The unit reportedly failed to comply with the strict safety protocols mandated by the Petroleum & Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).
• There was insufficient segregation between the chemical mixing and electrical operation areas, allowing the fire to spread rapidly.
• The use of non-fireproof electrical equipment likely contributed to the ignition and explosion.

The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO)

• PESO, formerly known as the Department of Explosives, since its inception in 1898, has been serving the nation as a nodal agency for regulating the safety of hazardous substances such as explosives, compressed gases and petroleum. 
• PESO’s major work is to administer the responsibilities delegated under the Explosives Act 1884 and Petroleum Act 1934 and the Rules made thereunder with the motto "Safety First".
• PESO has its Headquarters at in Nagpur, Maharashtra.  

Source:
The Hindu
Economic Times
News Onair
Peso