For Prema, wife of Anthony Raj (42), who died in the fire accident at the cracker factory on Wednesday, the woes have only begun.
She has lost the sole breadwinner of the family in the tragic accident. Now, she has to shoulder the responsibility of supporting her son and two daughters.
Anthony Raj, a resident of Thevarkulam in Thiruthangal Taluk in Virudhunagar District, was a worker in one of the many fireworks factories in Sivakasi. Only recently did he choose to start off a venture on his own and began supplying raw materials made of paper to the fireworks factories.
On Wednesday, he went to the ill-fated factory to receive payment for the supplies after he was called by the factory administrators. “He started from home at 10 am and never returned,” said Thesingu Raja, his elder brother.
Inbasekaran (30), another of the victims, was married barely two months ago, said Sundareshwari, the elder sister of his wife Savithri.
Savithri was inconsolable. “I do not know what Savithri will do in the absence of her husband. As a young woman, she had dreamt of building a home of her own and settling down. But now, everything is gone with the wind,” Sundareshwari added.
Inbasekaran did not leave behind much for his wife. They were from a very poor family. Savithri’s parents too were poor and would not be able to support her throughout her life, Sundareshwari added. The government should provide at least Rs 5 lakh to each family to support them financially in the absence of breadwinners, she demanded.
The scene at the Sivakasi Government Hospital was heart-wrenching.
Several relatives and family members sat in groups wailing. To offer solace, they only had each other’s shoulder.
Indrajit (25), of Koochakapatti near Naranapuram near Sivakasi, was among the lucky ones who had a narrow escape. He was a few hundred metres away from the ill-fated factory when the incident occurred. His house is barely two kilometres away and he was on his way out of the factory when the entire facility blew up.
Still to recover from the shock, Indrajit said he felt the vibration from the blast beneath his feet. At the time of the blast, there were at least 50 people around him. The impact of the blast threw him on the ground and he injured his head. When he got up, the people around him were either killed or injured. Unmindful of his injury, he tried to look around for survivors. But the entire area was engulfed with smoke making his task difficult.
Like Indrajit, Alagarsamy (45), a worker who lives in Perivadiyur near Sivakasi, too survived to tell his story. He sustained injuries to his hand and leg. “After the first explosion, I came out and started running.
“ There were at least 50 people around me who were also running to safety. But before we could cross the fence of the factory, another explosion took place in which I was injured. I feel I got a second life after surviving the incident, knowing that a large number of people have died,” he said poignantly.
