Four dead, four injured in blast at cracker unit

Sources claimed that Deivapandi of Muthandipuram, near Sattur, owned the R R Fireworks at Kangarakottai. There were more than 60 sheds in the unit and nearly 150 were employed to make fancy crackers. As usual while they were at work on Monday filling ‘manimarunthu’ (chemicals used to manufacture fancy crackers) inside the cylindrical shaped cardboard, an explosion reportedly due to friction of chemicals. 

In the impact, three workers Subbuthai (40), Saraswathy (46) and Selvi (25) of Elumichampatti near Sattur were charred to death inside a same shed. As the production of fancy crackers other sheds located nearby also caught fire. Three workers, Muthumari (50), Mamunirajan (24), Veeralakshmi (35), sustained 100 per cent burns, while Selvaraj (28) sustained 90 per cent burns and Suryanarayanasamy (23) 80 per cent. 

All the injured were immediately rushed to the multi-specialty burns ward at Sivakasi GH. Later in the evening Suryanarayanasamy succumbed to injuries.  Sources claimed that the death toll might increase as all the workers had sustained high degree of burns. 

Following the incident, DRO C Muthukumaran and SP M Rajarajan visited the accident spot. When the workers of the cracker unit attempted to shift the bodies of the deceased to Sivakasi GH, kin staged a road roko demanding compensation. Following assurances of necessary action from officials the protesters dispersed from the spot.