At least 10 people died and several others were injured after an explosion at a firecracker factory in Vembakottai in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district on Saturday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to be given to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
“It is with a heavy heart that I learnt about a mishap at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar district. During this difficult time, my thoughts are with the loved ones of those who have tragically passed away. I wish a swift and full recovery for all who have been injured. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000,” a statement by the prime minister said.
Locals said that the blast was at such a huge scale that four buildings, located near the factory, were also destroyed in the incident, an India Today report said.
#WATCH | Explosion occurs in a firecracker manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar; details awaited pic.twitter.com/cALcg6A9Ow— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2024
Police and a fire department team rushed to the spot after receiving information about the incident, following which the injured persons were taken to a local hospital.
Reportedly, seven persons died on the spot while two others died on the way to the hospital.
Police said that the cause of the blast was being ascertained.
President Droupdi Murmu also expressed her condolences over the “tragic incident” and said, “It is painful to hear about the loss of lives caused by a tragic accident in a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the early recovery of the injured.”
Reacting to the incident, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran posted on X and said, “The news that several workers died in an accident at a private firecracker factory operating at Ramadevanpatti near Vembakottai in Virudhunagar district is very painful. I convey my deepest condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families.”
விருதுநகர் மாவட்டம் வெம்பக்கோட்டை அருகே ராமதேவன்பட்டியில் இயங்கிவந்த தனியார் பட்டாசு ஆலையில் ஏற்பட்ட விபத்தில் 9 தொழிலாளர்கள் உயிரிழந்ததாக வரும் செய்தி மிகுந்த வேதனையளிக்கிறது. உயிரிழந்தவர்களின் குடும்பத்தினருக்கு எனது ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கலையும், அனுதாபங்களையும் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன்.…— TTV Dhinakaran (@TTVDhinakaran) February 17, 2024
He further wrote that he prays for the speedy recovered of all those who were “seriously injured in the accident and admitted to the hospital for treatment”.
“It has been alleged that the safety of thousands of workers working in firecracker factories has been put into question by factory owners who do not properly follow the safety regulations and by the government administration which is indifferent to the accidents after many casualties,” Dhinakaran noted.
The AMMK leader urged the Tamil Nadu government to take necessary measures to ensure the safety of all those involved in the “dangerous firecracker industry”.
The incident occurred under the Vembakottai police station limits.
(With PTI inputs)
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