Virudhunagar: A woman was while seven others were injured in an explosion at a firecracker factory in Kovilpulikuthi here in Tamil Nadu.
According to police, the incident took place at a chemical mixing unit of the factory which damaged several manufacturing units and injured seven people. A woman worker named Ramalakshmi was killed in the incident, they said.
Meanwhile, the rescue operation started immediately as teams from the fire department from Sathur and Sivakasi rushed quickly to the scene they contained the fire and prevented it from spreading to nearby areas.
Hundreds of workers and employees were present inside the factory, Sathyaprabha Firecracker Manufacturer, owned by Mohanraj. They work there for mixing chemicals, drying, and packaging the firecrackers.
#UPDATE | Tamil Nadu: One dead and 7 injured in an explosion at a firecracker manufacturing factory near Sivakasi in Virudhunagar: Fire & Rescue Department Official
— ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2025
Visuals from the spot; rescue operation underway https://t.co/hEarpwAj0J pic.twitter.com/h5iSXXOZ53
Officials alleged that the explosion was triggered in the chemical mixing unit during the making of crackers. “The loud bang and shockwaves were felt many kilometres away and it resulted in the flattening of many factory units completely,” they said.
“Seven people sustained burn injuries and they were rushed to the Virudhunagar Government Hospital, where one woman was critical and succumbed to the injuries in the hospital,” they said.
The Vachakkarapatti Police have registered an FIR and launched a probe into the cause of the blast. “We are investigating all angles and examining whether safety protocols were being followed in the factory. It will also help us determine the factors that led to the tragedy,” said a police officer.
This is the second firecracker factory explosion in Virudhunagar in recent months. In January 2023, a firecracker factory explosion in the district killed 10 people and injured several others. The repeated incidents of firecracker factory explosions in Virudhunagar raise concerns about the safety standards in the industry.
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