A firecracker manufacturing factory near Sattur in Virudhunagar district exploded, the state Department of Fire and Rescue confirmed, according to news agency ANI.
Further details awaited.
A similar incident was reported in the state almost a month ago. An explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu's Kancheepuram district killed seven people, three of whom were women.
According to police, five people died on the spot, while 15 others were injured and taken to Kancheepuram's government hospital. "Two of the fifteen died in the hospital." "As of now, the death toll stands at seven," said an unnamed official, Hindustan Times reported.
Four workers were killed in a cracker unit explosion in Thuraiyoor, near the district, in February. The explosion occurred in one of New Century Fireworks' sheds, a leading firecracker manufacturer. This was the fourth major accident in firecracker units this year, with three or more people killed in the districts of Virudhunagar and Tuticorin.
In the fireworks industry, unsafe working conditions and improper handling of flammable raw materials continue to endanger lives. In the year 2020, 11 workers were burned at a fireworks factory in the Tamil Nadu district of Virudhunagar. According to police data, at least 239 people have died and over 265 have been injured in 142 fireworks unit accidents over the last decade. Such tragedies have not been confined to Sivakasi, the world's fireworks capital, where the majority of such units are concentrated.
Illegal cracker units operating in a few other parts of the state have also resulted in a significant number of deaths. Manufacturing of firecrackers in improvised unlicensed units, rough handling of chemicals by untrained and unskilled workers, spillage or overloading of chemicals during the filling process, and working outside permitted areas have all been identified as major causes of previous accidents in and around Sivakasi.