TIRUCHY : A day after several workers died in a blast in a private factory manufacturing industrial explosives in T Murungapatti near Thuraiyur, the villagers are still in a state of shock. Seeking a report on the accident from the officials, they staged a road blockade near the factory on Friday.
The death toll in the blast rose to 19 in the day as S Praveen Kumar (25) from Sentharapatti near Gangavalli in Salem died.
Meanwhile, investigations into the accident were handed over to the CB-CID. Alleging that their safety was under threat with explosive chemicals being housed in the factory, the relatives of the victims also sought announcement of compensation for families of the victims and also the injured.
Besides the CB-CID, various departments, including revenue, police and health departments, fire services and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation were investigating into the incident.
The villagers said they were clueless about the happenings in the factory. “We saw policemen and senior revenue officials camping near the factory following the accident. But we were not updated or given a basic sense of the activities going on within the compound,” said R Rajendiran of T Murungapatti.
With several chemicals, including hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and coal ash, believed to be present in the factory, officials sources maintained that neutralisation and relocation process of the chemicals were on since Friday morning.
As people were worried and unaware of the developments inside the factory, a section of locals from T Murungapatti, Koppampatti and Vairisettipalayam blocked the Thuriayur-Aathur Main Road in the afternoon. Though police officials held peace talks with the agitated villagers, they refused to budge till evening, leaving the vehicular traffic between Thuraiyur and Aathur in a disarray for over six hours.
“We are in the process of neutralising the chemicals in the factory, and simultaneously the official process of disbursing compensation is on. Maintaining law and order in the adjoining villages is our priority,” a revenue official said.
The relatives of the deceased workers have sought explanation from the district administration in the presence of the factory owner to ensure that their lives would be safe even after the accident.
Earlier, Uppiliyapuram Police registered a case against S Vijayakannan, the factory owner, under six Sections of the Indian Penal Code.
During the day, a team of CB-CID personnel headed by Superintendent of Police S Rajeshwari visited the factory and conducted inquiry. Sources said the team took note of the safety measures put in place for factory workers handling explosive materials, and precautions taken in the units where chemicals were housed.