4 Dead, 7 Injured After Firecrackers Stocked At House Explodes In TN's Namakkal

Around 16 homes in the vicinity got damaged in the mishap.

The deceased Thillai Kumar (37), a license holder, had stocked the firecrackers in his house (File Photo)

Chennai: Four persons died and seven others were injured after a reported blast at a house of a firecrackers shop owner in Namakkal district in the wee hours of Saturday. The four deceased members include three women and the owner of the firecracker shop. 

On Saturday, the blast took place when all of them were asleep in their homes at 4 am. Suddenly, a fire from an unknown source had reportedly spread to the fireworks stored in the house which in turn had set a cylinder on fire. Later, it resulted in a cylinder blast.

Around 16 homes in the vicinity got damaged in the incident. The fire tenders who were rushed for help put out the fire after a two-hour struggle. 

A senior police official told PTI, "It is not clear why Thillai Kumar (37), a license holder, had stocked the firecrackers in his house. The incident happened around 4 AM. Thillai Kumar, his mother Selvi (57) and wife Priya (27) died instantly.” 

A neighbour of the couple, a 70-year-old woman, also died in the impact of the blast.

However, the 4-year-old daughter of Kumar escaped unhurt.

The remaining people who sustained injuries have been admitted to a Government Hospital in Namakkal for treatment.

A report on The New Indian Express said that Thillaik Kumar allegedly stocked fireworks at his house to be sold ahead of New Year. However, the fireworks was kept without any safety measures. 

However, the police have registered a complaint and further investigations are on. The police also ruled out any foulplay. The police said that a short-circuit or a lit candle could have caused the blast.

The Revenue, Block Development Officer and senior police officials are involved in analysising the damages.