Tamil Nadu: 11 people died and at least 36 people got injured in the explosion at a firecracker factory in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar. Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 3 Lakhs each to the family members of 11 people who have died and Rs 1 Lakh for people who are critically injured. PM Modi has announced Rs 2 lakhs each for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for seriously injured.
According to police, the incident occurred when some chemicals were being mixed to make fireworks. Virudhunagar is about 500 km away from Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai. Many fire tenders have been dispatched from various locations to extinguish the fire.
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Fire and rescue operations & police on ground investigating the reason for the fire. Reportedly, more than 16 others are being treated at Sivakasi and Sattur government hospitals for serious injuries.
"I've instructed dist authorities & medical experts to give best treatment to injured, asked local admn to ensure that families of deceased & injured are informed & necessary arrangements made. Also asked dist authorities to inspect such industries on regular basis," said Tamil Nadu CM.