In a tragic incident, two workers were killed while two others were critically injured in an explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit at a village in Virudhunagar district on Tuesday, authorities said. The deceased identified as P Muthumurugan and P Mariappan, both aged 45, belonged to Chidambarapuram in Vellur,Virudhunagar district. They both worked at the firecracker factory. According to the official release, the fireworks unit was located at Kalayarkurichi village near Sivakasi. The injured were identified as K Sankaravel (52) and K Saroja (50).
Expressing grief over the tragic incident, state Chief Minister MK Stalin conveyed his condolences to the grieving families of the deceased and announced an ex gratia of Rs 3 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. Moreover, CM Stalin also announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to the injured.
Also, Stalin directed the state authorities to ensure special medical care for both workers who sustained severe injuries and were admitted to the Virudhunagar Government Medical College Hospital.
Similar incident claimed nine lives
Earlier on May 9, at least nine people lost their lives in an explosion at a fireworks factory near Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu. The explosion had occurred at a fireworks manufacturing unit located near Sivakasi, known as the fireworks hub of India. The blast also left twelve others with burn injuries, as was reported by the police. Notably, the factory was operating with a valid license at the time of the incident. Law enforcement agencies had initiated an investigation to determine the cause behind the explosion, probing into potential factors that led to the tragic event.
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