Three women killed in TN fireworks unit explosion, CM announces solatium

DHARMAPURI: Three women workers were killed in a blast in a firecracker manufacturing unit in Dharmapuri on Monday.

The deceased, identified by police as Thirumala (36), wife of Vijayakumar, Thirumanju (35), wife of Thiyagu and Senbagam, (35), wife of Meganathan, all hailing from Kambainallur were killed on the spot.

They were busy making crackers in the unit, owned by Chinnadurai at Kambainallur when a huge blast led to the crumbling of the entire building at around 2.15 pm.

In the powerful blast, the bodies of three women were ripped apart into pieces, which were sent for a post-mortem at Dharmapuri Government Hospital.

Dharmapuri District Collector R Sadheesh, Superintendent of Police SS Maheshwaran, Member of Parliament A Mani, ex-minister P Palaniappan, MLA V Sampath Kumar and other officials visited the blast spot and consoled the family members of the deceased.

After preliminary inquiries, police suspect friction among the crackers to have triggered the blast. The Kambainallur police have registered a case and further inquiries are on.

Addressing the media, District Collector R Sadheesh said forensic experts are gathering evidence and examining the cause of the blast.

“Based on their report, the reason for the blast will be ascertained. In case of violation, strict action will be taken against the offenders. Efforts will be taken to ensure the kin of the deceased get compensation and also other required assistance,” he said.

Further, the Collector said all cracker manufacturing units and godowns in the district will be inspected to ensure that they adhere to norms.

In Chennai, Stalin expressed grief over the incident and condoled the death of the three women.

In a statement, he announced an ex-gratia of Rs four lakh each to the families of the deceased from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund.

(With inputs from PTI)