MADURAI: Five persons lost their lives and more than 10 people sustained injuries after an explosion at a private firecracker unit in Alagusirai village near Thirumangalam in Madurai district on Thursday.
The reason for the explosion is unknown.
Sources said the incident happened when more than 15 people were engaged in manufacturing crackers at the unit, which is owned by A Anusiya.
The deceased were identified as Ammavasai, Vallarasu, Gopi, Vicky, and Prema. The injured persons including Jeyapandi, Karupasamy, and Mahalakshmi were taken to Government Rajaji Hospital for treatment. The rest are being treated in private hospitals.
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Based on the alert, the officials from the district administration, TN fire and rescue service, and police departments rushed to the spot and started the rescue operations.
Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration P Moorthy, and Collector Dr S Aneesh Sekhar visited the spot and conducted an inspection.
Chief Minister MK Stalin condoled the deaths and granted a solatium of Rs five lakh each to the families of the victims and directed that those who have suffered injuries should be given special treatment at the Government Rajaji Medical College Hospital.
Governor Ravi expressed profound grief over the mishap at the firecracker factory and extended his deepest condolences to the bereaved families of those who lost their lives and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.