Vijayawada Fire and Emergency Safety Guide

On the evening of 12 October 2026, an electric car with five people hit a railing on the West Bypass and caught fire; four people died and a woman was critically injured. Police have pointed to overspeeding, but the cause of the crash and the fire is not confirmed, and we cover it in a case study. In August 2023, about 300 two-wheelers were gutted at a TVS showroom and godown in KP Nagar, where a short circuit was suspected, possibly while electric two-wheelers were charging.

On 31 August and 1 September 2024, the Budameru rivulet breached its bund and dozens of Vijayawada colonies went under water, while the Prakasam Barrage let out 11.5 lakh cusecs on 2 September through its 70 gates. By 4 September, 12 deaths were reported in NTR district and more than 2.70 lakh people affected in Vijayawada, with 21 NDRF teams working in the city.

Cyclone Montha crossed the coast near Narasapur on the night of 28 to 29 October 2025, and on the morning of 29 October, heavy rain and gales lashed Vijayawada. Several trees were uprooted and several roads were flooded, and the state government put the cyclone's toll at three.

About 25 lakh devotees were expected at the Kanaka Durga temple over the Dasara festival from 11 to 20 October 2026, and more than one lakh came on the second day alone. Police set up holding areas to regulate rush at peak hours, and no incidents were reported on day two.

On 15 August 2026, three youths aged 17, 18 and 18 from Krishna Lanka drowned at Sitanagaram Pushkar Ghat, on the Guntur side of the river. A strong current swept away those who went into a deeper stretch, and police recovered all three bodies after a search.

On 9 August 2020, a fire at Hotel Swarna Palace, leased by Ramesh Hospitals as a Covid-19 care centre, killed 10 people, and the FIR alleged the operators knew of electrical defects and opened it without repairing them. On 10 May 2018, a plastic factory in Autonagar burned, about 16 fire engines were used and nearly 100 workers were rescued, with no deaths reported.