A devastating explosion at a fireworks manufacturing unit in Thrissur, Kerala, has resulted in at least 13 fatalities and numerous injuries. The incident occurred as the unit was preparing crackers for the upcoming Thrissur Pooram festival.
The mishap occurred around 12.30 pm on Saturday in the chemical mixing room of the firecracker-making unit in the village.
At least 18 people were charred to death, and six others sustained grievous injuries following a massive explosion at a private firecracker manufacturing unit near Virudhunagar, the police said on Sunday.
With one more person succumbing to burns today, the death toll in the explosion in a fireworks manufacturing unit at Vadakkampatti village in the district has risen to 17.
The explosion occurred when some chemicals were being mixed to produce fireworks at the unit in Acchankulam village, they said, adding the injured had been hospitalised.
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Three persons were charred to death and 13 seriously injured in a blaze that swept through a private fireworks factory in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu after an accidental explosion. Police said the fire also resulted in a series of explosions in the unit.
Nine workers, including five women, died and 10 others were injured in a blaze at a fireworks-manufacturing unit in Sivakasi on Thursday, a senior police official said.
Teams of National Disaster Response Force were trying to find out any person still trapped under the debris, officials said.
Enter the fireworks city of Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu and you can smell a familiar mix of sulphur, potassium nitrate, aluminium and carbon - familiar because if you've ever burst crackers, say on Diwali or Onam, chances are they were made here. Almost every household used to contribute to India's festive joy by contributing almost 90 per cent of the fireworks made in the country. Before the pandemic, around 300,000 people worked in the industry directly and another 500,000 indirectly. Located 540 kilometres from Chennai, Sivakasi is famous for its fireworks and crackers, along with printing and matches, but is almost a ghost town these days.
Five people were arrested on Thursday in connection with the devastating fire at a cracker manufacturing unit at Mudhalipatti near Sivakasi, even as the toll mounted to 39 with three more persons succumbing to burns. The arrested were four people who had taken the Omshakthi fireworks factory complex, where the fire broke out, on lease and its foreman, police said.
The fire started in the afternoon at the Vadivel Fireworks Factory at Meenampatti village in Virudhunagar district, 70 km from Madurai.
A Ganesh Nadar visits the site of the firecracker tragedy in Tamil Nadu and finds that little has changed despite such tragedies happening regularly
In the second fireworks unit mishap this month in Tamil Nadu, three men were killed in a blast in their factory at a remote village in Virudhunagar district, police said on Saturday.
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Fire occurred when some 'rocket' varieties being tested for quality ignited other crackers put to dry.
Rescue officials confirmed casualties in the incident, claiming to have already recovered 5 bodies from the heap of debris where the cracker manufacturing unit once stood.
Some experts opine that green crackers are yet not practical and question government's move to promote them.
The Trinamool Congress supremo, who reached Khadikul village in this area, 11 days after the blast, also said the incident could have been averted if the state had received proper intelligence inputs.
The changeover to green crackers after extensive experiments marks a revival of the industry which has over 1,000 manufacturing units around Sivakasi and used to clock an annual turnover of over Rs 6,000 crore.
The impact of the explosion "was so massive" that the factory, which was being run from a residential building, collapsed, the police said.
Another explosion "linked to illegal firecrackers" took place in West Bengal on Monday, the third such blast within a span of just seven days.
In one of the worst fire tragedies in Tamil Nadu, 54 persons were charred to death and 50 others injured on Wednesday when a devastating blaze swept through a cracker factory complex at nearby Mudhalipatti.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to interfere with the Delhi government's order putting a comprehensive ban on manufacturing, storage, sale and bursting of firecrackers in the city, saying people's health is important.
Markets will remain closed on Thursday, 12 November 2015 on account of Diwali Balipratipada.
Delhi, which has gained infamy as one of the world's most polluted cities, has for some years now witnessed a sustained campaign from various quarters seeking a ban on firecrackers. While the Centre launched the newly approved, eco-friendly firecrackers earlier this month as a "safer and cheaper" alternative, the mood in the market is tepid, says Ritwik Sharma.
The town produces 85 per cent of the country's fireworks.
The fire was caused by mishandling of fireworks.
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