Two workers lost their lives and three others were injured in an explosion at a private firecracker manufacturing unit in Vadakarai, near Kariapatti in Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s Virudhunagar district. The incident occurred on Wednesday at Yuvaraj Fireworks, a licensed facility owned by Raja Chandrasekar.
The blast happened while workers were engaged in chemical operations, leading to a fire that engulfed parts of the unit. The victims were identified as Sowdammal (53) from Kalkurichi and Karuppaiah (35) from Kandiyanendhal. The injured&mdash;Murugan (45), Petchiammal (43), and Ganesan (53)&mdash;were rushed to the Government Hospital. All are reported to be in stable condition despite suffering burn injuries.
Fire and rescue teams from Kariapatti and Aruppukottai arrived at the scene swiftly. Using fire tenders and earthmovers, the teams recovered the victims&rsquo; charred remains and brought the blaze under control.
Senior fire and district officials, including K. Rajeshkannan and M. Chandra Kumar, conducted inspections at the site. A police case has been filed, and investigations are underway to determine the exact cause. Initial reports suggest the explosion may have occurred shortly after the workers entered the chemical mixing room, hinting at a possible mishandling or unsafe storage of materials.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased. He announced ex-gratia payments of ₹4 lakh for the families of the deceased, ₹1 lakh for the seriously injured, and ₹50,000 for others injured, from the Chief Minister&rsquo;s Public Relief Fund. The Virudhunagar district, particularly the Sivakasi region, is a hub for firecracker production. Despite being a major employment source, the industry continues to face criticism for recurring accidents and inadequate safety standards. Authorities have pledged to intensify safety checks and hold those responsible accountable. Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.

Explosion at a private firecracker manufacturing

Explosion at Virudhunagar unit prompts CM Stalin to announce compensation; probe underway

TN firecracker blast kills 2, injures 3 workers

Explosion at Virudhunagar unit prompts CM Stalin to announce compensation; probe underway

June 11, 2025 | 17:46 IST