Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday ordered a magisterial inquiry into Wednesday’s blast at a private fireworks unit at Mudalipatti, near Sivakasi, even as the Virudhunagar police arrested 12 persons.
Thirty-eight persons died and 55 are being treated in various hospitals.
The probe by the District Revenue Officer would go into how the factory functioned on September 5, a day after its licence was cancelled, and the cause of the blast, an official release said.
The State government had allocated Rs.1.13 crore for establishing a burns ward at the Sivakasi government hospital. Steps would be taken to open an intensive care unit, an operation theatre, a plastic surgery unit, an orthopaedic unit, a physiotherapy unit and a rehabilitation centre; double the bed strength to 60 and make the burns ward a centre of excellence under the control of the Madurai Medical College Hospital. A total of Rs.4.50 crore would be earmarked, the release said.
The Virudhunagar Collector was directed to make an immediate inspection of all cracker units.
These decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister to discuss preventive measures.
The factory obtained licence from the Chief Controller of Explosives, Nagpur, in 2006. An inspection on August 28 by the Deputy Chief Controller of Explosives, Sivakasi, pointed to many deviations: chemical products were stored in excess of the permissible levels and there were more employees than allowed. Also, the space meant for safety purposes was encroached upon.
Citing these violations, the official, on September 4, ordered revocation of the licence. A copy of the order was received by the Collector the next day, the release said.
Report being prepared
Special Correspondent reports from New Delhi:
Taking serious note of the fire, which occurred a day after the licence of Om Sakthi Fireworks Industries was cancelled, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has ordered an inquiry into the whole incident.
It will be conducted by Chaitanya Prasad, IAS, under Section 9 (a) of the Explosives Act 1884, says an official statement. Three officers of the Deputy Chief Controller of Explosives, Sivakasi field office, have been at the accident spot — at Mudalipatti — since Wednesday. The Chief Controller of Explosives and the Joint Controller reached there on Thursday and are preparing a report on the accident.
Keywords: Sivakasi fire, fireworks factory fire, Om Shakthi Fireworks factory, magisterial probe, Jayalalithaa
Our country is known for its reactive approach, no preventive steps to safeguard the lives of people. It's a great shame for us when we compare with the other developed countries. India will never improve. It's will be always developing for the years to come !!
It is easy for the Central and State Ministers to order probe and announce an ex-gratia payment to the family of the dead persons. Why not ask the probing teams? Why preventive action has not taken place? Why the officials who are supposed to oversee that proper conditions prevail in those industries to prevent blast? Is there room for bribery in these cases? Is Bribery the cause of negligence on the part of officials that lead to the disaster?
Authorites should check whether the factory was covered under ESI act and also the no. of employees for whom contributions are paid.
Police and other authorities should make sure that thousands of other
cracker manufacturers in Shivakashi should follow the safety norms. It
is important to take a lesson from such an incident to save lives of
innocent workers.
please pray for them.
It is shocking to see the plight of the people who were injured. My heart goes for those who died in the horrific incident. What the Virudhunagar Collector was doing all this time. Only when things happens the government machinery acts? How the license was given without proper inspection. Those who approved and inspected the factory should be brought to books
No wonder India is such an under achiever compared to Chinese, Koreans. We have a golden goose in Sivakashi cracker industry and thought of investing in burn treatment only in 2012 after the accident! Now only the peoples' representatives, govt officials, the entrepreneurs felt the need for improving medical treatment and especially burn related? We need to develop this industry into an integrated park like an export processing zone. Everyone related with this industry should be able to work in a safe environment. By the way does any of the Sivakashi engineering colleges have a course in pyrotechniqe? We need to develop a whole chain of professions to modernise this industry which is run presently like a road side tea shop. Let this be a new begining and let us demand "no more accidents in Sivakashi".
Its high time we stop this useless business idea-crackers.
It does nothing good except creating a severe noise and air pollution.
I believe Diwali can also be celebrated by wonderful Diyas and good dishes. I strongly believe even your godess Lakshmi also must be getting scared of the crackers. lets stop celebrating festival at the cost of such Sivakasi incidents.
azim
Nice to know that the state government has plans to add to the medical
faciliteids in and around Sivakasi. What about the woner of the factory
who is statede to be on the run. The media is not even disclosing his
name. Every time a gruesome accident takes place killing people, burning
children, infant being roasted by rats, we say a lot of thigns. But
tghings die doewn soon thereafter. Whow is the MP from Sivakasi? Why did
he not raise his voi8ce in teh Parliament eysterday? The people ahve qa
right to know this and mroe?
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