CHENNAI: At least 53 people were killed when a powerful explosion on Wednesday tore through one of the biggest fireworks factories in Tamil Nadu, triggering a major fire, authorities said.So powerful was the ear-splitting blast that 40 of the 48 sheds in the sprawling warehouse in Sivakasi, a firecracker manufacturing hub about 480km from Chennai, were gutted in no time.
A police officer from the area said the horrific disaster happened around 12.30pm, catching those working there as well as others unawares.
The fire quickly engulfed the entire factory of Om Shakthi Fireworks because a huge amount of raw materials and firecrackers were being readied for the upcoming festival season.
A local official maintained that around 100 people were trapped initially on the premises.
Tamil television channels showed intermittent explosions in the area, and thick smoke rising into the sky.
Villagers ran with the injured in their arms or in cloth sheets in the absence of stretchers.
Thirteen fire tenders battled the flames while more than 25 ambulances ferried the injured to hospitals.
The police officer said thick smoke and continuing blasts in the factory area hindered rescue efforts.
Industry officials in Sivakasi said the cracker unit was being run by a person who had leased the factory from the owner of Om Shakthi Fireworks.
“This is common. The owner may not be in a position to run the factory and will lease it out to others. It is the duty of the lease to take care of safety operations,” V. Ramamoorthy, managing director at the Jubliant Crackers, told IANS.
Crackers are produced in small rooms with space for not more than four people. The rooms have four doors so that workers can rush out in case of any emergency.
Activists say that cracker units employ inexperienced workers during the Diwali season in order to meet the soaring demand, at times resulting in accidents.
All fire tenders and ambulances in the area were pressed into service but it took time to put out the blaze, Tamil Nadu minister K.T. Rajenthra Balaji said.
Grieving relatives of the factory workers rushed to the spot.
Police said the exact numbers inside the factory was not known. Normally, there are 300 workers in a firecracker factory.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa announced a solatium of Rs200,000 to the families of the dead, Rs25,000 to the severely injured and Rs10,000 to those with minor injuries.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed deep shock over the tragedy and announced ex-gratia of Rs200,000 to the next of the kin of each deceased.
Sivakasi is one of the oldest and biggest firecracker manufacturing hubs in India.
Nearly 90 per cent of the country’s fireworks are made in Sivakasi along with 80 per cent of the safety matches.
Low rainfall and dry climate are conducive to this industry in Sivakasi where the annual turnover is over Rs20 billion.
In the last 12 years, 237 lives have been lost due to accidents in 88 firecracker units in Sivakasi.
The government says it has tightened controls on the safety measures installed by the units.
An official of the Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers Association (TNFAMA) told IANS from Sivakasi that most accidents happen in small and medium-sized units.
Industry officials told IANS that many units do not maintain proper accounts.
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