One worker died and two women workers were injured in an explosion at a fireworks unit near Kadambur on Thursday evening.
M. Dhanasekaran (40), a resident of Arasan Kovil Kadu near Kadambur in Salem district, runs a fireworks unit in the locality. Around 4 p.m. on Thursday, A. Rajamanickam (45), a resident of Koolamedu, was engaged in cracker manufacturing work in a small building at the unit, while two women workers were working in another building. At that time, crackers exploded in the building where Rajamanickam was working, completely destroying it, and the debris fell on the adjacent building where the women were working.
Rajamanickam died on the spot, and the two women workers, Santhiya (30) and Vijaya (30), both residents of the same locality, sustained injuries. Local residents rushed to the scene and took the injured women to Attur Government Hospital, where their condition is reported to be stable. Gangavalli police sent Rajamanickam’s body to Attur Government Hospital for a postmortem.
Salem District Superintendent of Police (SP) A.K. Arun Kabilan arrived at the scene and conducted inquiries, along with revenue officials. Police and revenue sources stated that the licence for the cracker unit had expired on March 31 this year. The owner, Dhanasekaran, had applied for renewal, and the application was under process. Three kilograms of potassium nitrate, aluminium powder, and sulfur powder were stored in the unit. Police suspect that mixing the powder triggered the explosion.
The Gangavalli police detained Dhanasekaran and are investigating.
