India, Oct. 24 -- A routine journey to school turned fatal on Saturday after an explosion during road expansion work claimed five lives in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitharama Raju district.

The blast occurred near Pinakota village in Ananthagiri mandal, where explosives were being used to break rocks along a ghat road. The victims included a government schoolteacher, three road workers and a vehicle driver, according to officials.

The teacher, identified as Sunitha, was travelling along the stretch on her way to school when the explosion occurred. She taught at MPP School in Maddirebu village under Pinakota panchayat.

Preliminary findings indicate that a device containing gelatin sticks detonated unexpectedly during the road-widening ope...