Virudhunagar, April 20 (IANS) The death toll has climbed to 25 in the devastating explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Kattanarpatti near Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu, officials said on Monday.

The blast occurred on Sunday at the Vanaja Firecracker Factory, owned by Muthu Manickam of Govindanallur, which was operating with a valid Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) licence.

According to initial reports, more than 30 workers were present inside the facility at the time of the incident, engaged in routine firecracker production activities.

Officials said the explosion was triggered by friction during the manufacturing process, leading to a sudden ignition of explosive materials. The impact was so intense that at least four rooms of the factory were completely destroyed. The sound of the explosion was reportedly heard up to 10 kilometres away, underscoring the magnitude of the blast.

Earlier on Sunday, 23 charred bodies were recovered from the scene.

Meanwhile, more than 12 injured individuals are currently undergoing treatment at the Virudhunagar Government Medical College Hospital; among them, two women succumbed to their injuries on Monday morning despite medical treatment. The deceased have been identified as Panchavarnam and Pechiammal.

Consequently, the death toll from the incident has risen to 25.

Based on a complaint filed by Vanitha, the administrative officer of the Kattinarpatti facility, the Vachakarapatti police have registered a case against Easwari and her husband, Muthumanickam (the couple who operated the factory), under four different sections of the law.

Four special police teams have been formed to search for the couple, who are currently absconding. As of now, with the death toll standing at 25, 21 bodies have been identified, and the post-mortem examinations for them have been completed. The process of identifying the remaining four bodies is currently underway.

Furthermore, following the completion of the post-mortem examinations, the relatives of the deceased have refused to accept the bodies. They have put forth a demand stating that they will only accept the bodies if the management provides the promised compensation of Rs 5 lakhs in the form of a Demand Draft (DD), rather than a cheque.

In view of the situation, more than 50 police personnel have been deployed to the site to maintain security.

–IANS

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