CHENNAI: Four men were killed on Sunday afternoon after an explosion caused allegedly by illegally stored firecrackers and country-made bombs at a house in Thandurai in Pattabiram in Chennai resulted in a portion of the structure collapsing and trapping them inside.
Though the fire and rescue personnel reached the spot within minutes, they were unable to rescue the victims. Pattabiram police identified two of the deceased as Yasin (25) and Sunil Prakash (23) of Thiruninravur who are believed to have visited the house to buy crackers.
The bodies of the other two men had been charred beyond recognition and had not yet been identified. Neighbours had alerted emergency services after the blast that caused structural damage to several adjoining houses, shattering windowpanes across the street.
Five fire engines from Avadi, Ambattur and neighbouring districts were deployed to the spot, and rescue personnel worked for hours to douse the fire amid intermittent explosions from the smouldering debris. The operation continued late into the evening, with cranes brought in to clear the remains of the collapsed structure.
A fire department official said the operation was particularly dangerous as smaller explosions occurred for nearly 20 minutes after the initial blast. Quoting the neighbours, the Pattabiram police said as the house was located in a narrow lane, the impact was felt almost in all the neighbouring houses.
Crackers worth over Rs 2L stored without safety clearance: Cops
“Even after nearly one hour, there was a huge explosion when the cranes were clearing the debris. We had to wait and douse the entire area with water before starting again,” a police officer said.
Officials said firecrackers, worth over Rs 2 lakh, had been stored inside the house without any safety clearance.
The building belonged to Aarumugam (51), a flower vendor who lived there with his daughter Hemalatha and sons Vijay and Ajay.
Police suspect that Vijay (25), who had been manufacturing and selling firecrackers for local festivals and funerals, had illegally converted a part of the residence into an unlicensed unit.
Police are investigating if Vijay escaped the blast or is among the victims. A forensic examination is also under way at the site, police said.
Avadi Police Commissioner Shankar, who inspected the site, said a detailed investigation is under way to identify the cause of the explosion and trace the source of the explosive materials.
Police said they would also probe if the operation is linked to a larger network of illegal firecracker sales.
The bodies of the deceased were sent to Kilpauk Government Medical College Hospital for postmortem examination.
