Two killed, one injured in explosion at illegal firecracker unit in Tamil Nadu

Two people were killed and another critically injured after a powerful explosion ripped through an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit operating from an agricultural shed in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar district. Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the blast

Sivakasi (Tamil Nadu): Two people were killed and one critically injured in a massive explosion at a clandestine firecracker manufacturing unit operating out of an agricultural shed near Sengamalapatti in Virudhunagar district on Sunday morning, police said.

One of the deceased has been identified as 38-year-old Ramprakash and the other is yet to be identified, they said. Ramprakash’s brother, Ramachandran (40), sustained 60 per cent burn injuries and has been admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

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According to a senior police official, the brothers had been manufacturing the firecrackers illegally to avoid detection by authorities.

“They were running it clandestinely, mostly operating late in the night in a shed located in an agricultural field. The structure was otherwise used to store agricultural tools and, at times, crop yields,” the senior police official told PTI. The official noted that the operation was kept entirely hidden from the local community, and no one in the village suspected that explosive materials were being handled or manufactured on the premises.

The blast, which completely damaged the makeshift tin shed and triggered heavy smoke, occurred early Sunday morning. Fire and rescue personnel, along with local police, rushed to the spot to extinguish the flames and pull the victims from the debris. Virudhunagar district police have registered a case and are conducting further investigations to ascertain the identity of the deceased helper and determine the exact cause of the ignition.