A boiler of a dyeing unit at Sellandipalayam near here burst on Tuesday, ostensibly due to overloading, killing four persons and injuring 20 others on Tuesday.
Labourers at the Kavi Colours dyeing unit at Sellandipapalayam were working frenetically to get the maximum output before TANGEDCO officials were to shut off power supply to the unit on Wednesday for non-compliance with zero discharge norms as ordained by court.
Suddenly, the three-tonne boiler burst, blowing the work shed to smithereens. The mangled torso of a worker was flung on the roof. The body was discovered when blood started dripping some time after the blast. Another person was thrown out of the shed and died on the spot.
Authorities claim there were 19 workers at the unit at the time of the blast. Independent verification revealed there were around 40 workers, including women.
The injured, most of them suffering severe burn injuries, were rushed to the government hospital and private hospitals.
Many labourers working at the unit are from other States.
The dead were identified as Ramjith (26) of Bijuria village in Bihar; R. Gandhi of Karattankadu near Sellandipalayam; C. Bhaskar (45) of KVB Nagar here; and Rajkumar Prasanth of Gaya in Bihar. The bodies of two local persons were handed over to relatives after post-mortem. Arrangements have been made to contact the kin of Ramjith. The owner of unit Loganathan got himself admitted to a local hospital complaining of sudden illness.
Karur MP M. Thambi Durai; District Collector V. Shobana;, DIG, Tiruchi Range, A. Amalraj; Superintendent of Police P. Nagarajan; and other officials visited the site.
Inquiries are on to find out the reason for the blast. An official said that the safety valve failed release in time, leading to pressure building up inside the boiler.
Solatium announced
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa sanctioned solatium of Rs.1 lakh from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund to the families of the four persons killed. In a statement, she said that Rs.25,000 would be paid to each of the grievously injured and Rs.10,000 to those who sustained simple injuries.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said that she had also ordered relief of Rs.1 lakh to the families of Rahmatulla, Viji and Deepa, who drowned in a tank at Sirunallur in Sivaganga district on November 4.
