VIRUDHUNAGAR: The death toll in the Kattanarpatti cracker unit explosion rose to 25 on Monday after two workers undergoing treatment at the Virudhunagar Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) succumbed to their injuries.
On Sunday evening, the hospital witnessed a steady stream of ambulances arriving at the mortuary, each carrying the charred remains of workers killed in the explosion.
Family members had already gathered at the hospital. As ambulances arrived, many peered through the windows, attempting to identify their loved ones even before the doors were opened. However, most bodies were burnt beyond recognition, leaving families distraught.
“Athu yarunu therlayae (can’t recognise the person),” lamented the daughter of one of the victims, breaking down.
The bodies were moved into the mortuary one after another, and relatives were called in individually for identification. Many emerged shattered, some screaming, others fainting, and some too stunned to react.
In several cases, identification relied on minor distinguishing features such as protruding teeth, surgical scars or traces of hair.
Among those waiting was Tamilselvi (16), a Class 12 student, who had come with her grandfather Alagumalai to identify the body of her mother, M Bakiyalakshmi (50). Tamilselvi said her mother, who usually worked at a cracker unit in Servaikaranpatti, had taken up work at the Vanaja unit for the first time on Sunday to earn extra income.
Victims’ kin seek adequate compensation
In another case, M Jayamurugan (14), a Class 9 student, and his 23-year-old sister lost both their parents, M Nagammal (48) and Marudhan (50), in the explosion. The couple, employed at different units, had chosen to work that day for an additional Rs 300.
Meanwhile, several political leaders, including DMK Ministers KKSSR Ramachandran and Thangam Thennarasu, and DMDK MLA candidate Vijaya Prabhakaran, visited the hospital, met the families and offered condolences.
Around 8 pm, fresh chaos unfolded as more ambulances arrived carrying injured police personnel and Fire and Rescue Services staff who were hurt in a secondary explosion during rescue operations. Former AIADMK Minister KT Rajenthra Bhalaji also visited the hospital and enquired about the condition of the injured.
Officials from the revenue and police departments continued efforts to identify the victims, urging families to recall distinctive features. By 6am on Monday, 19 of the 23 bodies had been identified. By Monday night, two bodies remained unidentified.
In the meantime, two workers undergoing treatment for severe burns succumbed to their injuries on Monday morning, taking the death toll to 25. Though postmortem examinations were largely completed by Monday morning, relatives refused to receive the bodies, demanding the arrest of the unit owner and adequate compensation. Collector N O Sukhaputra and Tangedco Managing Director M Govinda Rao held discussions with the families at the hospital.
Tensions escalated as relatives staged a road blockade on Ramamoorthy Link Road, alleging that no compensation had been paid and the unit owner is still absconding. After further negotiations, cracker unit associations assured compensation. By the end of the day, an amount of Rs 8.5 lakh, including Rs 3 lakh from the association, was agreed upon.