Five women were killed and three others were critically injured after an explosion at a firecracker factory in Madurai district. The incident happened at around 3 pm on Friday. According to the police, the factory is located at the village limits of Sengulam, around 65 kms from Madurai city. The explosion is said to have happened due to abrasion of the chemicals in the factory. “The factory is owned by one Alagarsamy and he has the license till 2022. We are yet to identify the deceased and the injured. The priority was to take them all to the hospital,” a senior police officer told TNM. 

Immediately after the fire broke out, the police were alerted and two fire engines -- one from Virudhunagar (around 35 kms away) and one from T Kalluppatti (around 10 kms away) -- and 50 fire and rescue services personnel were pressed into service. “The fire was brought under control shortly after. Now we are in the process of identifying the workers and informing their families,” the officer said. When asked how many workers were inside the unit during the incident, the officer said that it is all to be ascertained. “We have to ascertain that because we picked up whoever we saw and sent them to the government hospital in Virudhunagar,” he said. Since Deepavali is around the corner, it is understood that the production was in full-swing in the unit.  

The police are also yet to register an FIR against Alagarsamy and are on the lookout for him. In September, at least seven persons were killed and three persons were injured in a similar explosion in a firecracker factory in Kattumannar koil in Cuddalore district. 

(This is a developing story)