Autorickshaw driver killed, worker critically injured in blast at fireworks unit near Sivakasi

The autorickshaw driver was trapped under the debris and was killed on the spot

An autorickshaw driver G. Govindaraj, 29, from Sevalpatti, was killed on the spot and a worker P. Gurumoorthi, 19, from Sivakasi, was critically injured after a fire broke out at Sri Lakshmi Fireworks unit at Sevalpatti under the Vembakottai police station limits in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu on Thursday (September 19, 2024).

The police said that Govindaraj was unloading materials from his vehicle at the unit when an explosion in the chemical-filling room brought down the fireworks shed at around 9.45 a.m.

The autorickshaw driver was trapped under the debris and was killed on the spot. Fire and rescue personnel rushed to the site to put out the flames and pulled out the body of the deceased.

Gurumoorthi, who was working inside the room, suffered 100 percent burns and was rushed to the hospital.

After the workers of the fireworks unit, licensed by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation, suspected that another worker was missing from the accident site, the fire and rescue personnel used an earthmover to search under the debris to ensure no one was trapped inside. Whether more people were rescued from the site is yet to be known.

The Vembakottai police have registered a case and are investigating.

Published - September 19, 2024 03:20 pm IST