Eleven people have been killed and at least 36 others injured in a huge fire that broke out at a firecracker factory in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar district, nearly 500 km from Chennai on Friday.
The explosion took place around 1:30 pm when work was underway in the factory and chemicals were being mixed to produce firecrackers. Four cracker making sheds were destroyed.
Ten fire fighting units from various surrounding locations like Sattur, Sivakasi, and Vembakottai were rushed to the spot to douse the flames.
Chief Minister E.K. Palaniswami expressed grief over the accident and announced Rs 3 lakh for the families of the deceased. A solatium of Rs 1 lakh will be provided to those severely injured in the mishap.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express grief over the tragedy. "Fire at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu is saddening. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those injured recover soon. Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected," he tweeted.
The Prime Minister's Office tweeted that authorities were working on the ground to assist those affected. The centre has also announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia each from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who lost their lives. Rs 50,000 would be given to those seriously injured.
