11 dead in two explosions at firecracker units in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar

At least 11 persons were killed and two injured in explosions at two firecracker factories in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district on Tuesday, reported NDTV.

Among those dead are nine women. The explosions occurred when the workers were testing the samples in Sivakasi city, which is known for its firecrackers and match factories.

The first incident took place in the Rengapalayam village and the second one occurred in Kichanayakanpatti village, reported The Hindu. According to the police, both units had valid licenses.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh each for the family members of those who died.

On October 9, ten people were killed in an explosion at a firework unit in the Ariyalur district. Prior to that, four workers were killed and four others were injured in an explosion at a firecracker godown in Mayiladuthurai on October 4.

The workers, involved in manufacturing firecrackers, were packing them when the explosion happened, police said.

A similar incident occurred in Virudhunagar on October 3 when three persons sustained severe injuries in an explosion at Victoria Firework Industries due to friction between the pellets that were put up for drying outside a room.

Guidelines for firecracker manufacturers

In 2021, the Director of Industrial Safety and Health had issued guidelines for firecracker manufacturers. As per the guidelines, the factory must ensure that the chemical mixture used to produce firecrackers is fully utilised.

“The remaining chemical mixture should be disposed of safely and production of crackers should be carried out in a room with persons for whom permission has been given,” it said. “Filling operation should be done soon after the chemical mixture is prepared so that the decomposing of chemical mixture, which leads to accidents, could be avoided.”

Additionally, the guidelines said that chemical mixtures should not be overstocked and iron materials should not be used in production. The factories are also required to ensure that gift boxes are not prepared inside the office room or magazine room and that workers are not bringing in their mobile phones.