VIRUDHUNAGAR: One died and five other workers, including two Jharkhand natives, were injured in an explosion at the Hindustan fireworks factory at Keelathayilpatti near Sattur on Sunday.
According to sources, the deceased was identified as Balagurusamy from Panaiadipatti. The five injured included S Kannan(50) from Thayilpatti, A Rajapandi (37) from Sattur, L Rajasekar (29) from Thayilpatti, V Kamalesh Ram (27), and J Rakesh (20) from Jharkhand.
"Production was underway despite Sunday being a holiday, and sixteen rooms were destroyed in the blast. The explosion was allegedly triggered by friction during work," sources said.
The factory is owned by Ganesan of Thiruthangal and operates with a PESO license. Usually, over 100 workers were engaged in manufacturing across more than 50 rooms. Upon information, Fire-fighters from Sattur and Vembakottai rushed to the spot and began rescue operations. The body of Balagurusamy was recovered and sent for autopsy.
Officials from the police and revenue departments are investigating the exact cause of the blast. The Vembakottai police have arrested the factory foreman, Loganathan, in connection with the incident and are conducting further investigation.
It is to be noted that this is the second such explosion in the region within a week.