Two persons were charred to death and 14 others sustained burns in a blast triggered by the fireworks display during a temple festival near Jayankondam on Friday.
Sources said a fireworks display was organised as part of the fire walk festival at the Mahamari Amman Temple in Kodangudi when the deity was taken out in a procession around 11.30 pm. Suddenly crackers kept in a heap burst and fire broke out in a pandal put up in front of the temple and spread to a tea stall and a thatched house nearby.
Sixteen persons were injured in the fire mishap. They were rushed to the GH at Jayankondam by the ‘108’ ambulance service. Of the 16, Govindasamy (65) of Kazhuvanthondi Karaimedu and Saroja (65) of Keezhachintamani died.
While Govindasamy died on the way to hospital and Saroja upon admission to hospital.
The injured were identified as Ilavarasan (15) all of Kogangudi, Selvaraj (44), Ramu (35), Saroja (60), Ganesan (50), Manikandan (33), Radhakrishnan (55), Mohan (32) and another Ganesan (32), all of Kogangudi, Chelladurai (40) of Vizhupallam, Punitha (19) of Govindaputhur, Perumal (70) of Chintamani, Kavidasan (33) of Silal and Ramanujammal (70) of Chithali. Ilavarasan, Chelladurai, Ramu, Ganesan, Punitha and Radhakrishnan were shifted to the Thanjavur Medical College Hospital.
Ariyalur Superintendent of Police Jayagowri, Jayankondam Deputy Superintendent of Police Chellamuthu, Ariyalur MLA Durai. Manivel and T Pazhur panchayat council chairperson Jayasudha Sivasubramanian rushed to the spot and conducted an inquiry.
Durai. Manivel consoled the next of kin of Govindasamy and Saroja and gave Rs 5000 each as assistance to two families.
He also visited the injured at the GH at Jayankondam and gave them Rs 1000 as assistance. Jayankondam panchayat council vice-president J V Dhandapani, Jayankondam municipal council vice-chairman P R Selvaraj and others accompanied him.