Chennai, July 1 (UNI) Six people, including a woman, were charred to death and five others critically injured in a major explosion at a fireworks manufacturing factory at Chinnakamanpatti near Sattur town in Virudhunagar district, about 540-km south of city, today.

Police and Revenue officials identified the deceased as R Mahalingam (55), C Sellapandiyan, Lakshmi Karupasamy, R Ramamurthy (38), K Ramajayam (27) and G Vairamani (32).

The injured, including a woman, have been admitted to the Sivakasi Government Hospital and the Madurai Rajaji Government Hospital.

According to sources, the deceased as well as the injured were engaged in cracker manufacturing works in the morning when the explosion occurred at the private fireworks factory. Four concrete roofed rooms of the factory were heavily damaged, and smoke engulfed the surrounding area.

On receiving information of the incident, Fire and Rescue Service Personnel rushed to the spot and put out the fire and retrieved the bodies of the victims and rescued the injured stuck under the debris.

The Sattur Town police have registered a case and have arrested the foreman of the factory for further investigation.

Expressing shock and grief over the tragic deaths in the explosion, Chief Minister M K Stalin has offered his condolences to the bereaved. He also announced a solatium of Rs four lakh each to families of the deceased and Rs one lakh each to the injured.

The Virudhunagar district, a backward rain-shadow region, in southern Tamil Nadu is a hub of fireworks manufacturing units and frequent mishaps claim a heavy toll on human lives. A majority of the people depend upon employment at these cracker manufacturing units.

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