VIRUDHUNAGAR: One person died and seven others suffered injuries in a fire blast at an illegal cracker manufacturing unit at Thayilpatti of Vembakottai on Friday morning.
The unit was being run at a house belonging to one Balamurugan (30) on the SBM Street of Thayilpatti. According to sources, the manufacturing of crackers was underway when alleged friction between chemical mixing caused the incident.
The deceased identified as 60-year-old Shanmugaraj was taken to Sivakasi Government Hospital with 100% burns. He succumbed to his injuries. Those injured have been identified as Selvamary (40) with 50% burn injuries, Muthumuneeswari (28) with 40 percent injuries, Suganthi (24) with 50 per cent injuries, Muthuselvi (36) with 55 percent injuries, Seetha Lakshmi (38) with 35 per cent injuries, Balamurugan (30) (house owner) with 65 per cent injuries and Muthuraj (40) with 65 per cent injuries. All five women and two men are under treatment at Sivakasi GH.
The impact of the blast has left the cracker unit damaged. The accident took place despite squads of district officials led by collector J Meghanatha Reddy carrying out regular inspections of such illegal units for the last two months.
Earlier this year, in June, four persons including a pregnant woman and a child, died in a similar fireblast in the same village during illegal cracker manufacturing at Kalaignar Colony.