Four people were killed and eight others injured in a blast at a firecracker unit near Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu on Saturday morning.
According to the police, the blast happened at around 9 am in one of the sheds of RKVM fireworks factory which was being used to store chemicals that are used in the cracker industry.
Four workers who died in the blast have been identified as S Kumar of Mettupatti, P Periyasamy of Servaikaranpatti, and S Veerakumar and M Murugesan of Paraipatti.
“Initial information suggests that it is was an accident. However, there seems to have been major lapses and the standard protocols for storing chemicals such as aluminium powder were not followed. The blast took place when workers were trying to mix chemicals. They had come early on Saturday for some rituals which were to be conducted to mark the of the New Year,” said a senior police officer who monitored the rescue operations.
He added, “At least four structures, including a store room and several attached sheds, were destroyed in the blast. The intensity of the blast was such that two dozen firefights had to struggle for more than an hour to bring the fire under control.”
The bodies of the victims were sent to Sivakasi Government Hospital for postmortem. A case has been registered and Nathampatti police have started a probe.