Seven women were killed and two injured on Friday when an explosion ripped through a firecracker unit in a village near Kattumannarkoil in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu.
The dead included the owner of the small-sized factory, C Gandhimathi. The injured have been rushed to the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Puducherry, around 90 km from the accident spot.
The condition of the injured is critical as both have suffered over 70 percent burn injuries.
The accident took place at the factory located in Kurungudi village in Kattumannarkoil taluk in the district when nine women, including the owner, began working after a gap of over five months. The factory had begun its operations after being shut for five-and-a-half months.
Gandhimathi and four others were killed immediately while two women died on the way to hospital, authorities said.
An explosion ripped through the premises killing Gandhimathi and four others immediately while two women died on the way to hospital, police and district administration said.
“The factory is a licensed unit and resumed operations only on Friday. The exact cause of the accident is being ascertained while it is suspected that stored chemicals could have caused the blast. Seven people have been killed, while two persons have been rushed to JIPMER for emergency treatment,” Industries Minister M C Sampath, who hails from Cuddalore district, told DH.
A detailed enquiry has been ordered, the minister added.
Vilvam Fireworks renewed its license a few days ago and resumed operations on Friday to manufacture crackers for the Deepavali season.
Reports from Kattumannarkoil said that the factory had stored cartons of crackers to be sent to various places for the upcoming festival season.
The accident left the villagers shattered as charred bodies were strewn across nearby fields.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced a solatium of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of the deceased. As a result of the incident, Sampath said, the district administration has asked firecrackers units in the district to immediately stop operations.
The minister inspected the accident site along with District Collector Chandra Sekhar Sakhamuri and Superintendent of Police M Sree Abhinav and spoke to villagers and eye-witnesses.
He added that the district administration has been asked to direct all the firecracker units in the district to cease operations immediately for about 15 days till safety measures are taken to resume production.
It is likely, Sampath said, the units will be asked to resume operations after 15 days with just four to five people in the beginning and slowly increase the workforce.
The deceased have been identified as Gandhimathi, Malarkodi, Latha, Rasathi, Chitra, Rukmini, and Rathinambal.
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