Tamil Nadu: 3 dead, 1 injured as illegal fireworks unit explodes in Virudhunagar

VIRUDHUNAGAR: Three people, including two women, were charred to death, and another woman was injured in an explosion at an illegal fireworks manufacturing unit operating at a house in Vijayakarisalkulam village near Vembakottai in Virudhunagar district on Saturday.The deceased were identified as M Jegatheeswaran (21) of Keelakottai in Nachiyarpuram; P Muthulakshmi (70) and P Shanmugathai (60), both residents of Vijayakarisalkulam. All three died on the spot. R Mariammal (48) of Vijayakarisalkulam sustained severe injuries and is undergoing treatment at Sivakasi govt hospital.Police said the house belonged to Ponnu Pandian (43) of East Street in Vijayakarisalkulam. Crackers, including banned joint crackers, were being manufactured illegally inside the premises.

The Supreme Court imposed a ban on joint crackers and the use of barium nitrate in 2018. A sudden friction-induced spark triggered an explosion, causing the building to partially collapse, said the officials.Fire and rescue services personnel from Vembakottai and Virudhunagar police carried out rescue operations. The bodies were sent to Sivakasi govt hospital for post-mortem. Police are probing the source of the raw materials and have registered a case on Ponnu Pandian.