THOOTHUKUDI: A 50-year-old woman was killed and 11 others sustained serious injuries after a powerful explosion ripped through a licensed private firecracker manufacturing unit at Ayanrasapatti village in Thoothukudi district on Saturday.
Death toll is likely to go up as eight workers are still trapped under the debris, sources said. According to sources, the blast occurred around 5.30 pm after a fire broke out in the chemical mixing room, where more than a dozen workers were engaged in manufacturing firecrackers. The explosion caused four nearby rooms to collapse completely, trapping several workers under the debris.
In the incident, V Mariammal (50) of Nathupatti near Virudhunagar was charred to death on the spot. A total of 28 workers were reported injured, of whom 11 suffered severe injuries and were admitted to the Government Hospital in Sattur.
Sources said three of the injured were in critical condition.Police personnel from the Masarpatti station and fire and rescue services teams from Vilathikulam and Kovilpatti rushed to the site and carried out rescue operations, evacuating the injured and recovering the deceased. Rescue efforts were continuing late into the evening as authorities searched two collapsed rooms.