Sivakasi cracker unit blast toll rises to five

SIVAKASI: The death toll in the explosion at an illegal fireworks unitPolice officials inspect the site where a shed (inset) in which firecrackers were being manufactured was razed to ground near Sivakasi rose to five after one more person succumbed to burn injuries, and the police identified two other victims with the help of their relatives, who identified the recovered human remains.

Ramachandran, who had sustained 75% burn injuries in the explosion and was undergoing treatment at the Virudhunagar Government Medical College Hospital, succumbed to his injuries on Sunday night.

The two other victims were identified as Pandidurai (32) of Meenampatti and Ayapparaj (38) of Sengamalapatti. They, too, were killed in the explosion.

According to the police, R Ramaprasath of Sengamalapatti, his brother Ramachandran, Innasimuthu of Meenampatti and two others were allegedly manufacturing firecrackers illegally when the explosion occurred around 8.30 am on Sunday. The five people had begun manufacturing firecrackers at around 4 am.

The police had identified R Ramaprasath (40) of Sengamalapatti and Innasimuthu (43) of Meenampatti soon after the explosion.

As they were unable to identify the remaining two victims, personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services Department spent nearly three hours searching the farmland before recovering human remains weighing about 2.15 kg from different parts of the blast site. The police had planned to conduct DNA profiling to establish the identities of the two victims.

However, the relatives requested the police to show them the recovered human remains.

"When they examined the remains, they identified certain physical features and confirmed the identities of the two deceased. Following this, the police handed over the remains to the relatives," a police source said.

The relatives informed the police that Innasimuthu and Ayapparaj were brothers.

The relatives staged a protest inside the hospital premises, refusing to receive Innasimuthu's body and Ayapparaj's mortal remains, demanding compensation of Rs. 20 lakh from the government.

After the police held talks with them, the relatives accepted the bodies but said they would approach the court seeking appropriate relief.