Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday directed the police authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation into a series of fire accidents reported at the ongoing construction sites in the capital region of Amaravati with focus on a possible conspiracy behind the incidents. Andhra CM directs probe into series of fire accidents in Amaravati
A massive fire erupted at a stockyard belonging to a major infrastructure company taking up the construction of the head of department (HOD) towers at Rayapudi village of Amaravati after 11 pm on Monday.
Guntur superintendent of police Vakul Jindal, who rushed to the spot and assessed the situation, told reporters that around 22 lots of permanent lubricated bundles of pipes were gutted in the fire. Firefighting teams quickly rushed to the scene and are actively working to bring the intense blaze under control, he said.
The cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained but preliminary investigation revealed that an intense blaze erupted from the location where a huge dump of PVC pipes was stored. This raw material is supposed to be used for the ongoing development works to provide amenities for new buildings in the capital region.
“Significant damage to the stored equipment has happened to the infrastructure of HOD Tower,” the SP said.
On Tuesday, Jindal, accompanied by additional superintendent of police (law and order) A T V Ramana Kumar, revisited the site for a detailed inspection. Teams from the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), examined the affected area.
This is the second such incident in the last two weeks. On March 11, a similar fire broke out at the seed access road of capital region during which PVC pipes worth lakhs of rupees belonging to another major construction company were gutted and reduced to ashes.
“The back-to-back fire accidents in the capital city has led to the suspicion that there might be a conspiracy by some vested political interests to derail the construction of capital city and defame the state government,” home minister Vangalapudi Anitha told reporters on Tuesday.
In May 2025, too, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Amaravati, unidentified individuals allegedly triggered fires in the bushes in the capital area.
The chief minister, who reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting in the evening, instructed authorities to ascertain whether the repeated incidents were accidental or part of a deliberate attempt to disrupt ongoing development activities.
He observed that the pattern and frequency of such incidents were “suspicious” and warranted a deeper, multi-angle probe. The meeting was attended by director general of police Harish Kumar Gupta, Guntur SP Vakul Jindal, and state intelligence chief Mahesh Kumar Laddha, who briefed him about the Rayapudi fire incident involving construction materials.
Naidu told them that in light of past incidents and the latest fire accidents in Amaravati, investigators must examine all possible angles, including sabotage, and establish the facts through a scientific and evidence-based approach.
Naidu sought detailed information on the timeline of the incident, including when the fire broke out and when emergency services were alerted. He also questioned officials on the rapid spread of flames at the site and directed them to rely on forensic evidence to determine the exact cause of the fire.
Expressing concern over the vulnerability of high-value materials stored across multiple construction sites in the capital region, the chief Minister called for immediate strengthening of security measures.
He directed increased police patrolling in construction zones, mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in material storage yards, deployment of private security personnel by construction firms, usage of drone surveillance to monitor sensitive areas, and close surveillance on suspicious movements and verification of unidentified persons.
Naidu also urged construction companies to take proactive responsibility for safeguarding their materials and ensure strict adherence to security protocols.