Chennai: Two workers were killed after a powerful explosion triggered a major fire at a licensed fireworks factory near Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district Thursday, officials said.
The accident occurred at the manufacturing unit in Namaskarithanpatti while employees were engaged in production work.
The explosion sparked a fire that rapidly spread through parts of the premises, sending smoke into the air and causing panic in the area.
The two workers suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene. Their identities were not immediately released.
There was no confirmation of other casualties.
Fire and Rescue Services personnel rushed to the factory after being alerted and launched an operation to contain the blaze. Firefighters continued to douse the flames and cool the affected structures amid concern over explosive material stored inside the unit.
Police and revenue officials also reached the site and secured the surrounding area to prevent residents and onlookers from approaching the factory. Police registered a case and began an investigation into the circumstances that led to the explosion.
Officials are expected to examine whether prescribed safety procedures were followed, how chemicals and finished fireworks were stored, and whether production was being carried out within the conditions of the factory’s licence.
The cause of the blast has yet to be established.
Thursday’s deaths have again highlighted the recurring safety crisis in Virudhunagar, the centre of Tamil Nadu’s fireworks industry.
In April this year, a devastating explosion at a factory in Kattanarpatti near Virudhunagar killed at least 25 workers, many of them women. Three people also died in July after an explosion at an alleged illegal fireworks unit in the district.
Virudhunagar witnessed several fatal accidents in earlier years as well. Ten workers were killed in a blast at Ramuthevanpatti in February 2024, while another explosion near Sivakasi in May that year claimed 10 lives. Four workers died in a separate accident near Sattur in June 2024.
One of the region’s worst disasters occurred at a fireworks factory near Sivakasi in September 2012, when 40 people were killed and more than 70 injured. Repeated explosions have prompted demands from workers’ groups and safety campaigners for stricter inspections, enforcement of limits on chemical handling and stronger action against unauthorised production.
Investigators will determine whether negligence or a breach of safety regulations contributed to Thursday’s accident.