CHENNAI: Six workers were killed in an explosion, which occurred in a cracker manufacturing unit at Bommaiyapuram village near Sattur in Virudhunagar. The incident occurred at around 9.30 am.

In a swift response to a fire call, brigades from Sattur and Virudhunagar stations rushed to the spot. The deadly explosion flattened four rooms of the unit.

Sattur Station Fire Officer (SFO) J Varadharaj said all the victims were men. After enquiring, he said it occurred while some of those ill-fated victims were weighing chemicals and other raw materials before commencing their work. However, the exact cause of the explosion is yet to be known.

Sources said the brigades recovered three bodies in the wake of the explosion and later removed other bodies from the debris. Revenue officials and police personnel have conducted inspections at the site.