1 dead, 6 injured in Diwali 'onion bomb' tragedy in Andhra Pradesh

One person died and six were injured in an accident involving firecrackers in Andhra Pradesh's Eluru district. A man on a two-wheeler was carrying a consignment of 'Onion Bombs' – a special Diwali firecracker – when the bike hit a pothole near a local temple, and the 'bombs' fell and exploded.

Reports suggest that the consignment of Diwali 'bombs' had explosive power similar to that of an IED, or improvised explosive device.

CCTV footage of the tragedy shows two people on a white scooter driving at high speed through a narrow lane; It was 12.17 pm. As the bike approaches the point where the road widens and meets the main road, it explodes. There was a small group of men – five to six – at the junction.

The intensity of the explosion was such that the entire area was covered with dark brown smoke and pieces of paper flew everywhere. As the smoke cleared, two people somehow escaped the explosion and ran to safety and the bike and body parts could be seen scattered far and wide.

Both men can be seen holding their ears, possibly ringing from the explosion, and approaching residents of a nearby house for help.

The bike rider has been identified as Sudhakar; Gruesome photographs of the scene, which NewBharat TV has seen but declined to show, show gruesome wounds and dismembered bodies.

Six injured were taken to the district hospital; The condition of two is critical.

Police are on the spot and have registered the case and started investigation.

NewBharat TV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NewBharat TV on your chat.