One held after major blast at fireworks unit near Sattur; no casualties reported

A major explosion occurred at a private fireworks’ unit at Keezha Odampatti near Sattur in Virudhunagar district early on Saturday. There are no casualties, fire officials said.

Fire and Rescue Services personnel and fire tender units from Sattur, Sivakasi, and Vembakottai were pressed into service at 7 a.m. More than 10 emergency ambulances were deployed by the authorities and senior officials from the police, fire, revenue and transport departments rushed to the spot.

According to those who witnessed the blast, a spark while handling raw materials at the unit, may have caused the fire. A few employees who were inside the facility around 6.30 a.m., working with the chemicals in the sheds, escaped on time, they said.

Officials said the unit belonged to Kandasami, a DMK functionary who hails from Viswanatham. It is said that there were plans to despatch crackers by trucks, in view of the upcoming Deepavali festival, to various places during the course of the day. The workers were engaged in the operations at the unit.

The unit possessed a licence, issued by the PESO, Nagpur, and manufactured crackers and fancy fireworks of sound and light variants. According to a police official, 10-20 workers from north India were staying at the facility.

However, it could not be immediately ascertained whether they were inside the unit at the time of the blast, as heavy smoke had engulfed the building, he said, adding that the firefighters were unable to enter the premises even four hours after the blast.

A fire official said that, as per the investigation, a truck had reached the fireworks unit at the time of the blast. “Whether it carried chemicals, or if a spark had triggered the blast, was yet to be established...,” he added.

Meanwhile, the roofs of a few houses in the vicinity of the unit were damaged in the impact. Later, residents blocked the vehicles of officials who visited the fireworks unit, demanding compensation. They dispersed only after the officials told them that their demand would be considered.

The manager of the unit was arrested. The police said they had also booked Mr. Kandasami and a foreman.

A senior officer said based on the statements of the manager, about 80 persons worked at the unit. Since the accident occurred early in the morning, there were no casualties as most of the workers usually turn up for work around 8 a.m.

Published - September 29, 2024 01:13 am IST