Virudhunagar: In yet another tragedy, five workers were killed and 14 others injured, many of them grievously in series of explosions triggered by a major inferno at a private fireworks manufacturing factory at Kalayarkurichi village near Sivakasi in this Southern district on Thursday evening.
Police said the fire broke out at Thangarajpandian fireworks factory, when the workers were engaged in making fancy variety of crackers.
The explosions had razed down ten ware houses, where huge stock of finished crackers and highly inflammable chemicals were stored.
Preliminary investigations revealed that friction while handling the chemicals was the reason for the fire tragedy.
Virudhunagar district Fire Officer K.Ganesan said fire tenders from Sattur and Sivakasi rushed to the factory and were extinguishing the fire. A search operation is also underway to rescue the injured from the debris.
The injured were admitted to the government hospitals at Sattur and Sivakasi.
The toll might go up as the condition of few workers was stated to be critical.
Senior revenue and police officials, including Superintendent of Police P.Perumal rushed to the site and supervised the rescue operations.
This is the second fire accident in Virudhunagar district this month. Earlier, 23 people were killed and several others injured in a fire accident at Sree Mariyammal Fireworks Factory at Achankulam here on February 12. (UNI)