Chennai:- A horrific accident took place on Sunday after an explosion at the 'Vanja Pataka Factory' located in Kattanarpatti near Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu. 18 people died and many others were injured in the accident. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has expressed grief over the incident. In a post on social media platform 'X' (formerly Twitter), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote that he is deeply saddened by the tragic news of the loss of many lives in the explosion at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar district. He expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.
According to reports, the factory is owned by Muthu Manickam, a resident of Govindanallur, and was operating under a valid RDO license. The factory complex has more than 30 rooms and employs more than 50 workers. On Sunday, when about 30 workers were on duty, a huge explosion suddenly occurred. The explosion caused heavy damage to at least four rooms inside the factory, and the area was immediately plunged into chaos.
As soon as the news of the incident was received, fire department teams immediately reached the spot and after more than an hour of strenuous efforts, they managed to control the fire. Although the fire was extinguished, the damage done by that time was already extensive. More than 30 people were present in the factory at the time of the accident, many of whom were trapped under the debris. Rescue teams immediately started relief and rescue operations, continuing their efforts to extract those trapped in the debris.
So far, about 18 bodies have been recovered, while the search for other missing persons is ongoing. After this tragic incident, both the administration and the police department have swung into action. Superintendent of Police (SP) Srinath personally visited the spot to take stock of the situation, and orders have been issued for a thorough investigation into the entire matter.