4 workers die in blast at Sivakasi cracker unit

Four workers died and eight sustained injuries in a blast at a firecracker unit in near Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, on Saturday morning, police said.

“It is was an accident as per the initial information. There seems to have major lapses in the way chemicals such as aluminium powers were stored. The accident happened when workers were trying to mix chemicals. They had come early on Saturday to conduct some rituals for an auspicious beginning of operations in the New Year,” said a senior police officer who monitored the rescue operations, ” said a senior police officer who monitored the rescue operations.

“At least four structures including a store room and several attached sheds were destroyed in the blast. The intensity of the blast was such that two dozen firefighters had to struggle for more than one hour to bring the fire under control,” he said.

S Kumar of Mettupatti, P Periyasamy of Servaikaranpatti and S Veerakumar and M Murugesan of Paraipatti were among the workers who died in the blast at RKVM fireworks factory. All bodies were sent to Sivakasi Government Hospital for post-mortem examination, the officer said. Police have registered a case and further investigation is on.