Cracker unit blast kills 2 in V'nagar

The blast occurred around 8.40 am in one of the wall-mount rooms at the cracker unit in Thulukankurichi, Vembakottai taluk while the duo were engaged in mixing chemicals such as aluminium powder with sulphur, sources said. While the exact cause of the explosion is yet to be known, it’s surmised to be friction. With the bodies of the victims being severed in the explosion, a headless torso was found and was identified to be G Murugesan (55) of Thulukankurichi. The mutilated body of the second victim-identified as M Sundarraj (54) of Ammayarpatti-was also recovered.

S. Kanthiah, the Vembakottai Station Fire Officer, after inspecting the explosion site, said a fire brigade comprising ten personnel rushed to the site after receiving a call at 8.48 am, but could only see the site filled with debris following the incident.

The death toll could have been higher had the explosion occurred sometime later when the entire workforce would be present in the manufacturing unit.

Around 300 people are engaged with the unit, reportedly a licensed entity with forty-four work sheds and eleven wall-mount rooms being made operational.

The incident could have occurred when the victims attempted to hastily drag a gunny bag containing chemicals into the wall-mount room following rainfall on Wednesday evening, Kanthiah said.

When contacted, Virudhunagar Superintendent of Police M. Rajarajan said three persons, including foreman Sankar (48), accountant Chandran (54), and supervisor Vijayakumar (40) of the cracker unit have been arrested by the Vembakottai police under Sections 286 and 304 of the IPC r/w 9B (1)(b) of The Explosives Act, 1884.