At least three people were reportedly killed in an explosion at a stone quarry near the Kariapatti area of Virudhunagar district in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday morning.
The Virudhunagar Fire and Rescue Department stated that the rescue operation was in progress.
The blast was caught in a CCTV camera. Videos showed a huge explosion going off at a white structure at the stone quarry, reportedly the storage room where explosives were stored.
The quarry was located near the Aviyur-Keezhauppili Kundu road, as per Daily Thanthi reported. The report said the explosives were stored to break rocks, adding that two vehicles were completely damaged and the blast was so strong that the blast was felt upto 20 kilometers.
The fire department was reportedly unable to reach the spot due to the presence of explosives.
According to an indiatoday.in report, that area's residents have been voicing grievances regarding the quarry from a long time, citing safety concerns and numerous accidents involving overloaded trucks.
As per local media, the explosion occurred when the victims enters a store room where explosive substances were kept to blast the rocky surface of the quarry. Officials at the site have stated that the blast could have been caused due to the mishandling of these explosives or due to friction from when the workers were entering the quarry.
While the exact reason of the blast is yet to be ascertained, the blast has caused locals to block traffic next to the quarry and call for its permanent closure.
In February this year, nine people were killed and 10 others were injured in in a massive explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Virudhnagar district.
The mishap took place around 12.30 pm on February 17 in the chemical mixing room of the firecracker-making unit in Kundayiruppu village of Virudhunagar.
