Thirteen people lost their lives and almost 40 suffered injuries in an explosion that took place at a fireworks manufacturing unit in Kerala's Thrissur district on Tuesday. The incident occurred in the manufacturing unit in Mundathikode at around 3.35 pm.
“The firecracker preparation unit was situated in a paddy field that had dried after the harvest, and the intense summer heat may have worsened the incident," said one of the officials from the Wadakkanchery Fire Station, who told Onmanorama. Most of the injured people are workers from the facility.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has confirmed the death of eight people in the fire incident in Mundathicode village under Wadakanchery Municipality in Kerala's Thrissur district, ANI reported.
Reacting to the incident, Kerala's Health Minister Veena George said that expert medical care would be ensured for those injured in the explosion at the Mundathikode fireworks storage facility in Thrissur.
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The PMO also shared a post . It said, PMO tweets, "Saddened to hear about the loss of lives due to the mishap at a cracker factory in Thrissur, Keralam. My deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest."
PM Modi Announces Ex-Gatia To Victims' Relatives
PM Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from Prime Minister National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the kin of each deceased while Rs 50,000 for the injured.
Announcing ex-gratia, the PMO said, "The Prime Minister has announced that an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000.
Similar Incidents Reported In Maharashtra And Tamil Nadu
In a similar incident, two people were killed, and four others suffered severe injuries after an explosion ripped through a firecracker manufacturing unit in Maharashtra's Palghar district on Tuesday, police said.
The explosion occurred around 12 pm at a makeshift firecracker manufacturing unit operating out of a tin shed in an old farmhouse in Konsai village of Wada taluka, said Vivekanand Kadam, chief of the civic disaster management cell.
As per the authorities, the deceased have been identified as Bhavesh Dileep Vavare (35) and Monica Sachin Padvale (30).
The injured included Monica Mahendra Jadhav (30), Jagruti Jagdish Gavate (27), Pratibha Pratap Pawar (30), and Monica Mohan Vardi (25).
A few days ago, at least 23 people were killed and six injured in a blast at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Kattanarpatti village in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district.
Reports said that the factory was operating against the protocols by functioning on Sunday, a designated rest day. Four special teams have been constituted to trace and apprehend those responsible.