Four women and a man were killed in a blast at a fireworks unit in Virudhunagar district's Kalayarkuruchi in Tamil Nadu on Thursday afternoon. Around 14 others have sustained injuries and are being treated in the Sivakasi government hospital. The incident comes just two weeks after another explosion in the district, where 23 people died at a fireworks unit in Sattur.
According to reports, the workers had been filling chemicals for a fancy variety of firecrackers in the afternoon. They were working in a shed and the explosion took place, reportedly due to an action of the chemicals, triggered by friction. The fire soon spread to 13 other sheds in the area and the Sivakasi fire rescue personnel rushed to put out the flames and rescue people from the spot.
The Times of India reported that the unit was named Thangaraj Pandian fireworks and had a total of 30 working sheds. Soon after the explosion, revenue officials and police began their investigation. A team from the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation also visited the spot as they had given the unit a license.
According to PESO officials, the explosion could have been triggered by incorrect methods of drying pellets and shortcuts taken to speeden the process. The police have registered a case in the matter. Virudhunagar district has seen three such explosions in just February with the first one in Sattur and the second near Sivakasi.
PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss condoled the incident and asked the Chief Minister to award the families of the deceased Rs 25 lakh and Rs 10 lakh to those injured.
In regard to the previous explosions, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had announced an eight-member committee headed by a former judge of a high Court to probe into the recent blast at a firework unit in Virudhunagar district which killed 19 workers.