Amaravati: An assistant sub-inspector of police and two of his relatives were killed when a crude bomb exploded as some labourers set fire to clear some bushes in a farm on the outskirts of Kurnool city today, police said.

While one person died on the spot, two others succumbed to injuries at hospital, Kurnool district superintendent of police J Gopinadh said. "It appears to be an accidental blast and there is no foul play involved," the SP said.

The bomb, apparently abandoned in a farm, went off when a fire was lit to clear the bushes, he said. Jampala Mallikarjuna and Rajasekhar, both siblings, were real estate developers and had recently purchased farm land outside Kurnool for development.

The brothers, along with their cousin Srinivasulu, an assistant sub-inspector of police, and a driver in the survey department, went to survey the land this afternoon, police said. While they were conducting the survey, labourers set fire to the bushes as part of the ground clearing process and it suddenly triggered the blast, police said.

They said 'bomb culture' was prevalent in the area as rival gangs often dump crude bombs in fields, garbage dumps and other open areas. "There were similar blasts (of abandoned bombs) earlier as well but no fatalities were reported. This is the first instance where people were killed," Gopinadh said. (PTI)

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