Thoothukudi, May 27 () Two people were killed and another seriously injured in a massive blast at an alleged illegal firecracker manufacturing unit near Kovilpatti in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district. After which the police has started investigation.
The incident is said to have happened late on Tuesday night. According to police sources, the blast took place in a private building located in Kattu Kovil area of Puliyankulam village near Kovilpatti, where firecrackers were allegedly being manufactured illegally.
Officials suspect that the victims were busy preparing firework materials when a sudden explosion devastated the building, causing its complete collapse.
The deceased have been identified as Ayyappan, a resident of Puliyankulam village, and Malathi, a resident of Pulgondanpatti in neighboring Virudhunagar district. After the explosion, both of them were buried under the debris and died on the spot.
Another person named Surya Prakash has also been seriously injured in this incident. Emergency personnel pulled him out of the debris and admitted him to Kovilpatti Government Hospital for treatment. According to hospital sources, his condition remains critical.
As soon as information about the explosion was received, Kovilpatti Fire and Rescue Service personnel immediately reached the spot and conducted rescue operations. Firefighters and rescue workers cleared the debris and recovered the bodies. The bodies were later taken to Kovilpatti Government Hospital for post-mortem.
Senior revenue and police officials also visited the spot to assess the situation and monitor the preliminary investigation.
Kovilpatti Sub-Collector Hiuman Sumangal, DSP Jagannathan and Tehsildar Appanraj inspected the accident site and reviewed the rescue efforts. Police officials said the exact cause of the blast was not yet known, although preliminary investigations indicated that highly flammable chemicals used in the production of firecrackers may have triggered the blast.
Investigators are also probing whether the unit was operating without mandatory licenses and security clearance.
Kovilpatti West police have registered a case and started a detailed investigation into the incident. Authorities are likely to interrogate local residents and investigate the source of the explosive materials used at the scene.
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SK/AS
