The Vetlapalem Firecracker Tragedy: Industrial Safety Failures, Labour Law Gaps, and the Systemic Neglect of India’s Informal Workforce
On February 28, 2026, a series of explosions at Sri Surya Fireworks in Vetlapalem village in Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh claimed the lives of 28 workers, including eight women. Preliminary investigations revealed that the unit had licence to employ only 8 workers per day and store a maximum of 15 kilograms of explosive material,…