Chennai, May 18 (IANS) A powerful explosion at an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit near Tiruvonam in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district claimed the lives of two workers on Sunday.

The deceased were identified as K. Sundarraj (60) and A. Riaz (19), both hailing from Neyveli Thenpathy village.

According to initial reports, the duo was engaged in preparing firecrackers inside the unit when the blast occurred, resulting in their instant death.

The explosion took place in a makeshift unit that was reportedly operating without any official approval or safety clearance.

The Vattathukkottai police, who reached the spot shortly after receiving an alert, recovered the bodies and sent them to the government hospital for post-mortem examination.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the illegal unit was owned by a woman identified as Samrath Begum, a resident of the same village. The facility was functioning on a property belonging to another villager, Annadurai.

Police sources indicated that neither the owner nor the premises had been authorised by any regulatory body to manufacture or store explosives.

Residents of the area expressed shock over the incident, stating that the unit had been functioning discreetly for some time.

“We heard a loud noise around 9 a.m. and rushed out. By the time we reached the spot, everything was in flames,” said a local resident.

Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Explosives Act and IPC, and further investigations are underway to identify other individuals involved in the operation of the illegal unit.

Authorities are also examining whether similar units are operating in the vicinity without licenses.

Officials from the Revenue and Fire and Rescue Services departments are expected to conduct a joint inspection of the site to assess the damage and recommend preventive action.

The incident has raised fresh concerns over unauthorised firework operations in the region.

The district administration has assured that stringent measures will be taken to curb such illegal units and ensure public safety.

–IANS

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