A massive explosion at a firecracker factory in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district left 10 people, including four women dead and many others injured on Saturday.
‘An explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Kundayiruppu village in Vembakottai resulted in the death of ten people – six men and four women’, said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin.
‘Seven persons were killed on the spot while three others succumbed to injuries sustained in the incident while being rushed to the hospital’, according to the police.
According to the reports, the blast was serious and it turned the factory and four other buildings into remains. Visuals shared on social media showed the structures completely turned to remains as locals and officials looked for survivors.
A senior police official said a team of fire and emergency services and the police reached the scene after the incident was reported.
#WATCH | Explosion occurs in a firecracker manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar; details awaited pic.twitter.com/cALcg6A9Ow
— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2024
‘The firecracker unit, located in Vembakottai area of the city, was owned by a person identified as Vijay’, he added.
A senior Police official said that a preliminary probe suggests that the blast was caused as something went awry in the chemical mixing room where concoctions are prepared for making firecrackers.
The mishap occurred around 12.30 pm on Saturday in the chemical mixing room of the firecracker-making unit in the village.
“Initially 9 persons died due to the explosion and 3 who were injured were rushed to Sivakasi Government Hospital for treatment,” Virudhunagar district Collector V P Jayaseelan said.
Preliminary enquiry revealed that there was overcrowding in the chemical mixing room, and that the explosion could have been triggered when the chemical was being handled, he said.
Comments