MADURAI: A 52-year-old man, who suffered critical burns after a bagful of crackers went off accidentally while carrying it on a vehicle, died at Sivakasi Government Hospital in Virudhunagar district on Tuesday.

The deceased has been identified as Kaliraj of Ammankovilpatti.

He was a worker in a cracker manufacturing unit at Sivakasi. Kaliraj along with Vasanthakumar (26), his co-worker, carried a bagful of crackers on a bike.

Meanwhile, a spark ignited the bag and it exploded. While Vasanthakumar managed to escape, Kaliraj, the pillion rider, was engulfed by the resultant fire.

Critically injured, he was admitted to Sivakasi GH but died despite treatment.