Bag with detonators, gelatin sticks triggers panic on bus at PNBS in Vijayawada

A bag containing detonators and gelatin sticks sparked panic onboard a bus at the Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS) in Vijayawada on September 15, 2026. A vigilant passenger, Asif Ali from Uttar Pradesh, discovered the unattended bag and promptly informed the police, who collected it and handed it over to the Krishnalanka police. Upon investigation, authorities discovered 46 gelatin sticks and 50 detonators in the bag, which had been placed on a bus traveling from Narasaraopet in Palnadu district to Vijayawada.

The South Zone police and special teams have been deployed to trace the bag's owner. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Krishna Kanth Patil, stated that the case is being probed from all angles, and the owner of the explosives would be identified soon. Police suspect the materials were intended for quarry operations. Deputy Circle Inspector J. Murali Krishna added that they are investigating the legality of the quarrying and procurement of explosive materials, as well as the source of the explosives and any markings on the gelatin sticks and detonators.

CCTV footage from various bus stations along the route was being verified. Passengers expressed shock over the transportation of explosives on a bus, emphasizing the narrow escape from a potential tragedy. Although past incidents involved the banned CPI (Maoist) obtaining explosives from private quarry contractors and smuggling them through public transport to the Andhra-Odisha Border or Chhattisgarh, senior police officers dismissed the likelihood in this case, citing the minimal presence of Maoists in the region.

However, they remained open to all possibilities. This incident is not an isolated one; in April 2025, authorities intercepted a large consignment of illegal explosive material near the Martur highway in Bapatla district, consisting of about 7.5 tonnes of gelatin sticks and 2,300 detonators, linked to local granite mining operations.