Virudhunagar: Two workers were killed and two others injured in separate firecracker factory accidents reported from Virudhunagar district on Thursday morning.
Police said more than 100 workers were employed in the unit. Preliminary investigations suggest that a chemical reaction triggered the explosion, resulting in a fire that completely gutted the tree and sent thick black smoke rising nearly 100 feet into the air.
Police said the blast occurred while workers were manufacturing wheel-type fireworks. In the first incident, a worker was killed, and a woman worker sustained injuries in a blast at a firecracker unit named Vadivel Fireworks, located at Sundararajapuram near Meenampatti, on the outskirts of Sivakasi . The unit is owned by Arumugasamy and operates with a licence issued by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). The accident allegedly occurred while workers were handling chemicals in the open under a tree. Sivakasi East police are investigating. In a separate incident, a worker was killed and another seriously injured in an explosion at Karishma Fire Works in Koonampatti near Srivilliputhur. The explosion, suspected to have been caused by friction during production, razed two rooms and damaged three others.
Easwaran, 52, a native of Kunnur near Srivilliputhur, died on the spot. A woman worker who sustained injuries was rescued and admitted to a hospital. Fire and rescue services personnel rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. Fire and rescue services personnel carried out rescue operations, while Malli police registered a case and commenced an investigation.