25 killed after powerful blast rips through Virudhunagar
Virudhnagar, TN: The death toll in the devastating blast at Vanaja fireworks unit in Kattanarpatti village near Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu on Sunday moved up to 25 with four more persons succumbing to their injuries in the District government hospital.
Seven others are still under treatment, some of them in a serious condition. The blast is among the most severe industrial accidents reported in the region in recent times. There were children and women among the deceased and injured.
The Tamil Nadu government has appointed a senior IAS officer to inquire into the incident and coordinate with the district administration in rescue and rehabilitation works.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court suo motu took up the blast issue on Monday and directed the State government to file a report on the rescue work and payment of ex-gratia to the victims and their families.
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan and Home Minister Amit Shah have condoled the death of workers in the blast and wished a speedy recovery of the injured.
President Murmu, in a post on ‘X’, said, “The loss of lives in a tragic accident at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu is deeply distressing. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I wish the injured a speedy recovery.”
Vice-President Radhakrishnan said the heart-breaking accident had caused immense sorrow.
Opposition leaders have raised concerns over repeated fireworks factory accidents in TN and questioned enforcement of safety regulations. The tragedy comes shortly after another blast in the Vembakottai region, further intensifying scrutiny over the safety standards in the fireworks manufacturing sector across Virudhunagar district.
About Sunday’s blast, police sources said around 50 workers were present inside the licensed unit when the explosion occurred, reportedly in the front veranda where raw materials were being handled. The impact of the blast was powerful enough to bring down several rooms and reduce nearby structures to debris and rubble, causing widespread destruction across the facility.
While fire and rescue personnel were engaged in controlling the flames and searching for survivors, a second explosion occurred around 7 pm. The sudden blast injured several responders, including police officers and members of the media, temporarily halting rescue efforts before operations resumed later in the evening.
