23 killed, several injured in blast at Tamil Nadu firecracker unit

TWenty-three workers were killed and several people injured in a monolithic blowup at a buck private cracker manufacturing manufactory in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district on Sunday, state’s revenue minister KKSSR Ramachandran said.President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister MK Stalin were among those who condoled the deaths.“So far, 23 people have died. Currently, six injured people are undergoing treatment at the District Government Hospital,” he told reporters, after inspecting the accident site with his cabinet colleague minister for finance Thangam Thennarasu.According to a senior fire and rescue department official, the blast occurred at around 3.30 pm when about 30 people were working at the firecracker unit, namely Vanaja fireworks, at Kattanarpatti near Virudhunagar.Also read | Century-old ‘Hindi imposition’ debate back ahead of Tamil Nadu assembly elections | Centre vs State row explainedThe incident was believed to have originated in the front veranda area, where workers were allegedly handling raw materials and giving finishing to the firecrackers.The impact of the blast was so severe that at least three rooms were reduced to rubble, and several adjacent structures were completely levelled.As rescue operations were going on in full swing at the accident site, another explosion at the factory created a panic situation. A fire service person in the vicinity suffered serious injuries, according to officials.Preliminary investigations suggest that the unit reportedly holds a license from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), Nagpur. Over 100 workers were reportedly engaged in work in the complex.The incident comes days after a similar blast in the Vembakottai area of the same district that claimed four lives.President Murmu extended condolencesPresident Murmu extended condolences, saying, “The loss of lives in a tragic accident at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu is deeply distressing. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I wish the injured a speedy recovery.”PM Modi also described the mishap as “deeply distressing”. “I extend my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest,” he said in a post on X.CM Stalin said he had instructed Ramachandran and Thennarasu to rush to the spot and monitor the rescue operations. “The tragic news of the deaths of several people in the firecracker factory explosion that occurred in Kattanarpatti, Virudhunagar district, causes immense sorrow. My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives,” he said in a post on X.“I have instructed district collector N. O. Sukhaputra and told them to coordinate all necessary assistance,” he added.Ramachandran said, “We were engaged with election related work. After hearing the news about this incident and following the CM’s instructions, we cancelled everything and met the injured at the hospital. We gave adequate instructions to the hospital authorities regarding the treatment of the injured.AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, BJP Tamil Nadu president Nainar Nagendran also expressed their condolences.“I express my deepest condolences and sorrow to the families of those who have passed away,” Palaniswami said.District collector Sukhaputra said an investigation is ongoing to identify the cause of the incident.“After the probe we will know what happened. If there are any violations, we will take action against the owner,” he said. In response to a query, he stated that a complaint had been registered at the Vachakarapatti Police Station and the factory’s license would be cancelled.District SP N Shreenatha said strict legal action would be taken against the factory owner. Four special teams are looking for the owner of the unit who is absconding.The factory’s management was yet to issue a statement.Collector Sukhaputra said an investigation is ongoing to identify the cause of the incident. “After the probe we will know what happened. If there are any violations, we will take action against the owner,” he said.“This is an unfortunate incident,” he noted.In response to a query, Sukhaputra stated that a complaint had been registered at the Vachakarapatti Police Station and the factory’s license would be cancelled.