Visakhapatnam: State home and disaster management minister Vangalapudi Anitha visited the families of three victims who died in a cylinder explosion at a welding shop in the city’s Fishing Harbour area on Saturday and distributed Rs 10 lakh compensation to each family as announced by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The incident occurred on Thursday evening at a welding shop on Bukka Street in the Fishing Harbour area, claiming three lives and injuring several others. The deceased have been identified as Chintakayala Mutyalu, Srinu (a welding shop worker), and Challa Ganesh, owner of a welding shop on Sunnapu Street. On Saturday, Anitha, accompanied by Visakhapatnam South MLA Vamsi Krishna Srinivas, district collector M.N. Harendira Prasad and city mayor Peela Srinivasa Rao visited the bereaved families to offer condolences and financial support. The minister first visited Bukka Street, where she presented Rs 10 lakh cheques to Pramila, wife of Chintakayala Mutyalu, and Lakshmi, wife of Srinu. She then proceeded to Sunnapu Street to meet Sudha, widow of welding shop owner Challa Ganesh, and handed over the compensation cheque. Speaking to the families, the minister assured them of continued government support and urged them not to worry about their future. She emphasised that the state government stands by the affected families during this difficult time. Regarding the cause of the explosion, the home minister stated that police and forensic experts are conducting a thorough investigation. “We cannot yet conclude on the cause of the explosion. The investigation is ongoing on with forensic experts participating, and the reasons will be known after the investigation is completed,” she said. The minister also announced plans to create awareness among welding shop owners and workers about safety measures to prevent similar incidents in future. Among the injured, Erra Ellaji and Ranga Rao are receiving treatment at King George Hospital (KGH), while P. Sanyasi is being treated at Medicover Hospital. The minister confirmed that officials and hospital doctors have been instructed to continuously monitor their treatment and provide the best possible medical care.
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