Chennai: Three people including a five-year-old boy died in a firework unit blast at Kalaignar colony of Thayilpatti in Sattur in Virudhunagar district yesterday morning.
Local residents said that fire broke out during the making of crackers.
Firework unit owners, R. Prabhakaran and his brother R. Apollo were arrested today.
According to police source, Apollo's wife Selvamani, 35, her son, another person Karpagam, 35, died on the spot due to blast. Two other men - Surya and Prabakar who met with multiple injuries admitted to Sivakasi government hospital.
As per the Times of India news sources, Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) officials who visited the spot called it an illegal unit as it was run without permission. “It was unfit for getting approval due to its location (a house) and unsafe conditions under which it was functioning,” joint chief controller of explosives, from PESO Sivakasi, K Sundaresan told TOI.
Four houses including firework unit completely destroyed in the blast.
Local persons said that several cracker units are being illegally operated employing children in the area and government has taken no action against any of the unit owners so far. The local residents demanded that cracker units should be shut down for the safety of the local people.