CHENNAI: At least eight people have died after an explosion at a cracker manufacturing unit in Kancheepuram on Wednesday morning. Police said the explosion occurred when raw materials that were placed in the sun caught fire.
The private cracker manufacturing unit is located in Kuruvimalai near the Palar River in Kancheepuram district. Around 25 labourers were working at the manufacturing unit when a huge explosion occurred.
The incident happened around 11am, said police. Residents of nearby villages ran out of their house to help the victims.
Around 20 fire rescue personnel rushed to the spot on being alerted. Villagers rushed the injured on auto rickshaws and two-wheelers to nearby hospitals. Eight people including three women were confirmed dead as of Wednesday afternoon.
A senior police officer speaking to The New Indian Express said that the death toll is likely to increase. Three of the deceased were identified as Vijaya, Boopathy and Gajendran.
Thirteen of the injured were admitted to Kancheepuram Government Hospital, while two were transferred to Rajiv Gandhi Hospital in Chennai and one to Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital in Chennai.