<p>Virudhunagar: With most bodies charred beyond recognition, identification remains difficult, police said on Monday, as the toll in the massive explosion at a fireworks unit near Kattanarpatti here rose to 25.</p>.<p>The Virudhunagar district administration has announced Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia to the kin of deceased.</p>.<p>The accident is one of the deadliest industrial disasters in the region in recent years.</p>.<p>"Bodies were so badly charred that we were able to identify mostly with jewellery that the victims were wearing," a police official told PTI.</p>.<p>He said that the families have not yet claimed the bodies due to the uncertainly in the identities.</p>.<p>The factory owner is absconding, he added.</p>.<p>The accident occurred at the Vanaja firecracker unit, owned by one Muthumanickam, which functions under the Vachakarapatti police station limits.</p>.<p>The unit is reportedly licensed by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), Nagpur.</p>.<p>Post-mortem reports have established that the 25 victims, include 22 women and three men, the police official added.</p>.<p>Eight workers, mostly women, are critically injured with 60 per cent burn injuries. Twelve others, including eight policemen, were injured in a second blast on Sunday evening while rescue operations were underway.</p>.<p>Rescue operations were severely hampered for hours, as unexploded materials continued to detonate.</p>.<p>A second blast at 7.20 pm, triggered as an earthmover was clearing debris, caused chaos and injured several responders, including a revenue official.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, sources said about 1,000 people, including the families of the victims and residents of nearby villages, are threatening a road roko, demanding the arrest of the owner of the factory.</p>.<p>Local eyewitnesses, including Ranganathan from the nearby Seervaikarampatti village, described hearing a massive blast that sent "thick black smoke" into the sky.</p>.<p>"Nothing was recognisable. We saw bodies being loaded four at a time into vehicles," he told PTI Videos.</p>.<p>Many of the deceased were from Seervaikarampatti village, with residents claiming that at least 20 victims belonged to their village.</p>.<p>Among those killed was 46-year-old Indrani, a veteran worker of 25 years.</p>.<p>"My mother was the sole breadwinner. My father is disabled and stays home. I have an MSc degree, but I’m working at a petrol bunk to help out, and we haven't even paid my brother's school fees yet," said Madhubala, Indrani’s daughter, while pleading for government employment assistance.</p>.<p>Virudhunagar Collector N O Sukhaputra confirmed that the unit was operating without permission on a rest day.</p>.<p>Preliminary findings suggest the blast originated in a chemical mixing shed, where nearly 40 workers were busy making crackers, a violation of safety norms that typically limit occupancy to four workers per shed.</p>.<p>"Had these workers followed primary safety norms, the casualties could have been minimal," a senior official stated.</p>.<p>Chief Minister M K Stalin has ordered a high-level probe and directed ministers to oversee relief efforts.</p>.<p>The tragedy follows a similar accident in Vembakottai just days earlier, which claimed four lives, intensifying calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations in the district’s firecracker hub.</p>.<p>The explosion occurred at approximately 3.15 pm on Sunday. Although the fireworks industry is officially shut on Sundays, over 100 workers were reportedly engaged in production.</p>.<p>Later in the day, Sukhaputra said Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia each has been finalised for the families of 25 persons killed in the explosion.</p>.<p>Speaking to PTI Videos, he said the ex gratia cheques are ready for immediate distribution to the legal heirs.</p>.<p>"Out of 25 deaths, we have finished conducting post-mortems on 22 bodies. Already we have cheques (that) are ready,” Sukhaputra said.</p>.<p>The announcement followed intense demands from grieving relatives for financial security and government employment.</p>
<p>Virudhunagar: With most bodies charred beyond recognition, identification remains difficult, police said on Monday, as the toll in the massive explosion at a fireworks unit near Kattanarpatti here rose to 25.</p>.<p>The Virudhunagar district administration has announced Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia to the kin of deceased.</p>.<p>The accident is one of the deadliest industrial disasters in the region in recent years.</p>.<p>"Bodies were so badly charred that we were able to identify mostly with jewellery that the victims were wearing," a police official told PTI.</p>.<p>He said that the families have not yet claimed the bodies due to the uncertainly in the identities.</p>.<p>The factory owner is absconding, he added.</p>.<p>The accident occurred at the Vanaja firecracker unit, owned by one Muthumanickam, which functions under the Vachakarapatti police station limits.</p>.<p>The unit is reportedly licensed by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), Nagpur.</p>.<p>Post-mortem reports have established that the 25 victims, include 22 women and three men, the police official added.</p>.<p>Eight workers, mostly women, are critically injured with 60 per cent burn injuries. Twelve others, including eight policemen, were injured in a second blast on Sunday evening while rescue operations were underway.</p>.<p>Rescue operations were severely hampered for hours, as unexploded materials continued to detonate.</p>.<p>A second blast at 7.20 pm, triggered as an earthmover was clearing debris, caused chaos and injured several responders, including a revenue official.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, sources said about 1,000 people, including the families of the victims and residents of nearby villages, are threatening a road roko, demanding the arrest of the owner of the factory.</p>.<p>Local eyewitnesses, including Ranganathan from the nearby Seervaikarampatti village, described hearing a massive blast that sent "thick black smoke" into the sky.</p>.<p>"Nothing was recognisable. We saw bodies being loaded four at a time into vehicles," he told PTI Videos.</p>.<p>Many of the deceased were from Seervaikarampatti village, with residents claiming that at least 20 victims belonged to their village.</p>.<p>Among those killed was 46-year-old Indrani, a veteran worker of 25 years.</p>.<p>"My mother was the sole breadwinner. My father is disabled and stays home. I have an MSc degree, but I’m working at a petrol bunk to help out, and we haven't even paid my brother's school fees yet," said Madhubala, Indrani’s daughter, while pleading for government employment assistance.</p>.<p>Virudhunagar Collector N O Sukhaputra confirmed that the unit was operating without permission on a rest day.</p>.<p>Preliminary findings suggest the blast originated in a chemical mixing shed, where nearly 40 workers were busy making crackers, a violation of safety norms that typically limit occupancy to four workers per shed.</p>.<p>"Had these workers followed primary safety norms, the casualties could have been minimal," a senior official stated.</p>.<p>Chief Minister M K Stalin has ordered a high-level probe and directed ministers to oversee relief efforts.</p>.<p>The tragedy follows a similar accident in Vembakottai just days earlier, which claimed four lives, intensifying calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations in the district’s firecracker hub.</p>.<p>The explosion occurred at approximately 3.15 pm on Sunday. Although the fireworks industry is officially shut on Sundays, over 100 workers were reportedly engaged in production.</p>.<p>Later in the day, Sukhaputra said Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia each has been finalised for the families of 25 persons killed in the explosion.</p>.<p>Speaking to PTI Videos, he said the ex gratia cheques are ready for immediate distribution to the legal heirs.</p>.<p>"Out of 25 deaths, we have finished conducting post-mortems on 22 bodies. Already we have cheques (that) are ready,” Sukhaputra said.</p>.<p>The announcement followed intense demands from grieving relatives for financial security and government employment.</p>