14 killed in crackers blast in AP

Fourteen persons were killed and 50 injured in a cracker explosion in Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday.

The police said the toll was likely to go up further.

A state police spokesman said the incident occurred in Nuvvalarevu village in Vajrapukothuru mandal in Srikakulam district around 1930 IST.

Crackers were brought from Orissa to be sold during the Sriramnavami festival. The stocks, kept in a community hall, exploded and a fire broke out.

Top police and revenue officials rushed to the spot and began rescue and relief operations. The injured were being shifted to nearby hospitals. Further details are awaited.