Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu), Apr 26 (UNI) Three workers were charred to death and three others critically injured in an explosion triggered by an inferno in a private fireworks factory at M.Pudupatti village near Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu on Saturday.

Preliminary reports quoting police sources said the fire broke out at Standard Fireworks Factory when the workers were engaged in mixing highly inflammable chemicals for making a fancy variety of crackers.

A series of explosions had razed down five warehouses, where a huge stock of finished crackers and chemicals was stored, the sources added.

Fire tenders from Sivakasi and Sattur rushed to the factory and extinguished the blaze.

Police suspect that friction while handling the chemicals might have caused the fire, but a detailed probe is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.

Virudhunagar superintendent of police D. Kannan, along with senior revenue officials, rushed to the factory and was supervising the rescue operations.

The injured workers were admitted to Sivakasi government hospital for treatment, where their condition was stated to be critical.

The rescue operation is still underway to find out whether any workers were trapped under the debris.

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