Rengapalayam blast: Cops arrest 3 persons

MADURAI: Three persons, including the owner of the cracker manufacturing unit at Rengapalayam in Virudhunagar district, were arrested on Wednesday after an explosion, which occurred in a retail shop and claimed the lives of 13 packaging workers.

Those arrested are R Sundaramurthy (43), the owner, G Kanagu (41), boreman and manager, and E Ramkumar (25) of Chockalingapuram, who burst cracker near the shop to test its quality.

Based on a complaint lodged by Mangalam VAO P Harichandran, M Pudupatti police filed a case against five persons, including those arrested under Sections 286, 337, and 304 (ii) of IPC r/w 9 (B) (1) (a) of Explosive Act, sources said.

Earlier, Minister for Finance Thangam Thennarasu and Labour Welfare Minister CV Ganesan along with officials convened a meeting with cracker manufacturers and vendors and insisted on following basic guidelines to assure safety and maintain an accident-free work record. Prior to the meeting, they observed a two-minute silence.

The Ministers then said special inspection teams comprising officials from Departments of Revenue, Police, Industrial Safety and Health, and Fire and Rescue services have been formed to check any violation in manufacturing units and retail shops to prevent any further accident.

The Ministers also extended compensation of Rs 3 lakh each to the families of Ganesan and Raja, who succumbed to burns in an explosion on October 3. Compensation was also extended to the kin of P Vembu (60), killed in a similar way on Tuesday.

Collector VP Jeyaseelan extended relief to the families of 13 victims of the explosion at Rengapalayam.