One killed, 7 injured in blast at illegal TN firecracker unit

The blast occurred at the residence of Balamurugan at Thayilapatti in the district's Vemukottai, and the deceased was identified as Shanmugaraj, 60. 

Sources told IANS that the manufacturing of firecrackers was taking place in a make-shift structure when the blast occurred due to mixing of chemicals. 

Shanmugaraj, who suffered 100 per cent burn injuries, succumbed to his injuries at the government hospital, Sivakasi. 

The injured, admitted to the same hospital, were identified as Balamurugan 30, with 65 per cent burns, Muthuraj, 40, Muthuselvi, 36, Seetha Lakshmi, 38, Selvamary, 40, Suganthi, 24, and Muthumuneeswari, 28. 

Four persons, including a pregnant woman and a child, had died due to the blast at another illegal firecracker making unit in the same village earlier in the year. 

The incident came even as squads of Virudhunagar District Collector, Meganatha Reddy were conducting inspections for illegal firecracker units for the past two months. Reddy was not available for comments.