VIRUDHUNAGAR: At least two persons sustained injuries and another two are suspected to be missing in a building collapse triggered by an explosion at Nehruji Colony in Reserve Line of Sivakasi on Monday. District officials are not able to confirm whether it was an illegal firecracker storage unit or illegal firecracker manufacturing unit.
Police said the unit was run by Ramanathan (44) in his house in a residential area. The multi-storey building has a single room on the second floor and a water tank above. “The building collapsed completely following the explosion. At least two women — Hameedha (55) and Kartheeswari (33) — are suspected to be buried in the debris. Exact number of injuries or casualties are yet to be ascertained,” they said.
Revenue officials said the licence was obtained for a pipe-making (pipes used for firecrackers) unit in the building. The residents confirmed that a pipe-making unit was functioning on the ground floor. Velmurugan (37) with 60 per cent injuries and Manoj Kumar (23) with 30 per cent injuries were taken to Sivakasi Government Hospital. They were the first ones to reportedly run out from the building before the collapse. Doctors said the injuries ‘seem to be superficial’.
Five JCBs, three water tenders and one ERT vehicle, along with 35 firetenders were at the spot. Around 40 police personnel were also deployed in the area. The house owner and his wife are said to have moved out of the area earlier this afternoon, but as no one has confirmed. As their mobile phones are switched off since the incident, police say combing through the debris is the only way to confirm if they were or were not present at the building during the incident.
Police and revenue officials speculate that either illegal manufacturing took place or chemicals were stored in large quantities which is also illegal. The rescue operation is expected to continue till the remains of those reportedly missing are found.