DHARMAPURI: Two sisters and another woman worker were killed in a devastating explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Murukampatti village, Dharmapuri district, around 2 pm on Monday.
The blast, which scattered body parts over a 100-metre radius, is suspected to have been triggered by friction during the mixing of chemicals, district fire safety officer P. Ambika told TNIE.
The deceased were identified as Thirumanju (33) and sisters V. Thirumalar (35) and M. Senbagam (25), all from Bhoomisamuthiram village near Kambainallur.
Of the four women employed at the unit, one narrowly escaped as she had left for lunch just minutes before the explosion. The unit owner, K. Chinnadurai, informed the Kambainallur police about the accident.
Villagers rushed out of their homes after hearing the deafening explosion and were horrified to find the remains of the victims strewn across the area.
"Our homes are just a few metres away from the unit. The bodies of the victims, whom we had just greeted in the morning, were blown into smithereens by the explosion. We are still in shock. Several windows and glass panes of our homes shattered due to the intensity of the blast," a resident told TNIE.
Dharmapuri Collector R. Sadheesh inspected the site and expressed his condolences to the families. Speaking to reporters, he said, "It was a licensed firecracker manufacturing unit. We have notified the Chief Minister’s Office, and the district administration will take necessary steps to ensure that the needs of the families are taken care of."
Tension flared up as local residents initially refused to allow the police and ambulance teams to remove the victims' remains. They demanded that Chief Minister M. K. Stalin announce a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each bereaved family.
The protesters relented after Dharmapuri Superintendent of Police S. S. Maheswaran held discussions with them, and Dharmapuri MP A. Mani consoled the grieving families.
"By the time our fire services personnel arrived at the spot, all the chemicals at the unit had already burned out. As a precautionary measure, we have kept a fire tender near the site. Seven of our staff members recovered the body parts of the victims," fire safety officer Ambika said.
Harur MLA V. Sampathkumar has urged the Chief Minister to grant Rs 20 lakh in compensation to each of the affected families.