The sad information that has come out of media sources about the devastating accident is that factory had not been following the fire safety norms and its license had been temporarily revoked.
Sivakasi, known as the capital of India's firework industry is believed to have been working at a fast pace to cater to the sales during upcoming Diwali festival.
Tragic incident, as it happened:
- 12:30 pm: chemicals storage room caught fire while opening a drum
- Cascading fire spread to 42 sheds causing quick serial explosions
- Around 150 workers were in the factory at the tine of accident
- 54 people got charred to death
- 78 people got severe burns
- Ten fire-fighting units assisted by over 80 men battled for over four hours to douse the flames.
- The injured were rushed to hospitals at Sivakasi, Virdhunagar, Rajapalayam, Arupukkottai and Madurai.
Chief Minister J Jayalalitha has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next-of-kin of the dead. Ahead of her visit to Sivakasi on Thursday, she despatched a five-member ministerial team led by O Pannerselvam to supervise relief works.
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