Chennai: In yet another tragedy in a fireworks unit in Tamil Nadu, six workers perished and one person was injured in an explosion at Sainath Fireworks in Bommaiyapuram near Sattur in south Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district on Saturday. The deceased were aged between 37 and 56 years.

Based on preliminary investigations, police said friction caused while weighing explosive chemicals in the ingredient room had triggered an explosion. Three rooms in the fireworks manufacturing unit were razed in the impact trapping the workers under the debris. Their bodies were recovered using earth movers. 

Chief Minister M K Stalin announced a solatium of Rs 4 lakh to families of each of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to the injured man. Madurai Superintendent of Police B K Aravind rushed to the spot earlier in the day. He told journalists the victims were handling chemicals required to manufacture fancy crackers when the explosion occurred. Officials from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation also visited the spot and collected samples from the accident site.