Five Killed After Road Workers’ Lorry Catches Fire While They Refuel It

Five road-construction workers have died after a lorry caught fire in the Alluri Sitaramaraju district of India. The fire broke out while the workers were refuelling the vehicle with diesel themselves.

District Police Chief Amit Bardar said the incident took place in Pinakota village, in Anantagiri mandal. The workers were carrying diesel in drums to refuel vehicles because the project site was about 100 kilometres from the nearest settlement.

The workers may not have taken adequate precautions while filling the lorry’s tank, and a spark is believed to have triggered the fire.

“This was not an explosion. I would describe it as an accidental fire. So far, we have confirmed five deaths,” Bardar said, according to a report published on Sunday, 25 October 2026. He added that the incident occurred at about 8.30am on Saturday, 24 October.

The fire is said to have started in a pick-up truck before spreading to a lorry carrying construction materials and a nearby parked motorbike. All three vehicles were destroyed. However, footage recorded by PTI showed a powerful explosion following the fire, scattering body fragments around the site.

One body was found inside a vehicle and two others were discovered nearby.

Bardar said the pick-up truck belonged to the contractor carrying out the road construction.

Police have arrived at the scene, and another investigative team is expected to arrive shortly to examine the incident.