Visakhapatnam, Aug 7 : Two persons were killed and four others were injured in a gas cylinder blast in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

The accident occurred in the Bukka Veedhi area near the Fishing Harbour. According to a preliminary investigation by the police, the blast took place in a scrap shop when some workers were engaged in welding.

The cylinder used for welding exploded, killing two people on the spot. The bodies of the deceased were blown to pieces under the impact of the explosion.

The gas cylinder reportedly malfunctioned, resulting in the massive explosion. According to local residents, the explosion was heard up to a distance of half a kilometre.

The blast sent panic in the area with people running helter-skelter. Police and fire services personnel rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations. The injured were shifted to King George Hospital, and their condition was stated to be critical.

Visakhapatnam South MLA Vamsikrishna Srinivas and Collector Harindhira Prasad visited the accident site. They expressed shock over the incident and assured all possible support from the government for the families of the deceased and the injured.

The officials said Ganesh, the owner of the scrap shop, and Srinu, the owner of the adjoining shop, were killed. Ranga, Yellaji, Sanyasi and Muthyala, who were working in the scrap shop, were critically injured.

Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner, Shankhabrata Bagchi, visited the injured at the King George Hospital. He spoke to Hospital Superintendent Dr. Vani and other doctors and urged them to take steps to ensure that the injured receive the best possible care.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anita expressed grief over the cylinder blast. She spoke to the Police Commissioner and officials of the Fire Services Department over the phone. She directed the officials to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured.

The Home Minister conveyed her condolences to the families of the deceased.

/IANS