Day after blast, Ariyalur cops destroy cracker bundles seized from houses

TIRUCHY: A day after the cracker unit blast, the Ariyalur police on Tuesday conducted surprise raids on many houses in several villages around the tragedy spot and seized huge quantities of illegally stored firecrackers and explosive components and destroyed them.

After the tragedy, several complaints were received that there were several discrepancies in the cracker units and some people had been making crackers in their houses in Viragalur village.

Acting on the complaints, the Keezhapazhuvur police conducted intensive searches in several residential colonies in the villages nearby.

Revenue officials also joined the raids in which they found that some residents identified as Ravi, Vasu, Kasi, and Ganesh from Thideer Kuppam were making crackers in their houses.

They were running the units at their houses without a license and proper safety measures. Subsequently, the team seized the crackers bundles, unfinished crackers, and base components for crackers.

The teams also warned the residents not to indulge in such illegal activities, which posed threat to lives of other residents in their locality.

A case was registered against the residents, who were making crackers at their houses. Later, the team dug a pit and destroyed the crackers. The police said similar surprise checks would continue till Deepavali.

Meanwhile, Ariyalur Collector J Annie Mary Swarna on Tuesday handed over the solatium to the kin of deceased persons of the firecracker blast.

The Chief Minister who condoled the victims of the firecracker unit blast in Ariyalur, announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the deceased, Rs 1 lakh to the grievously injured and Rs 50,000 to those who sustained injuries.

On Monday, the ministers CV Ganesan and SS Sivasankar who visited the injured in Ariyalur and Thanjavur medical colleges, handed over compensation of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 to the persons who sustained injuries.