TN Fire incident at cracker factory: Death toll rises to 19

Tamil Nadu: The death toll in the fire incident at the firecracker factory in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar on Friday has risen to 19, Virudhunagar District Collector R Kannan said.

Over 30 persons are said to be injured, and several persons are still in critical condition.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami had instructed district authorities and medical experts to give the best treatment to the injured. Palaniswami also asked authorities to inspect such factories on regular basis.

An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each has been approved from the Prime Minister Office’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to a fire in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu.

At around 1 pm on Friday, a loud noise was heard  from the firecracker factory in Achankulam village near Sattur. More than a hundred employees work in Sakthivel owned factory.  The fire soon spread to other sheds in the unit, trapping several workers inside the building without a way to escape

Nine people died on the spot in the firecracker accident.  More than 30 injured were admitted to hospitals in Sattur, Kovilpatti and Sivakasi.