NEW DELHI: Ten people were killed and 15 others sustained injuries in an explosion at a fireworks factory in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu on Saturday, AFP reported citing police reports.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, was triggered by a fire within the factory premises, as confirmed by police officer Feroze Khan Abdullah. While the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, the resulting explosion caused significant devastation.
Abdullah stated that ten workers lost their lives in the blast, while five of the injured have been hospitalized for treatment. Immediate action by emergency responders helped bring the fire under control, preventing further casualties.
Factory Incidents are Common in India
Factory accidents are unfortunately not uncommon in India, with many owners disregarding essential safety protocols and operating without proper permits. This incident adds to a concerning trend of industrial accidents across the country.
Just a day before this tragedy, eleven laborers perished in a massive fire that engulfed a paint factory in India’s capital, New Delhi. The relentless cycle of accidents underscores the urgent need for stricter enforcement of safety regulations in industrial settings.
Earlier this month, another blast at a fireworks factory in central Madhya Pradesh state resulted in eight fatalities and 80 injuries, further highlighting the dangers inherent in such workplaces.
India has a history of devastating fires in industrial facilities, with one of the deadliest incidents occurring in 2019 when over 40 people lost their lives in a blaze at a factory producing school bags and shoes in Delhi.
Tragically, the nation has been scarred by past incidents, including the 1985 fire at a school in Haryana, which claimed the lives of 442 persons, including 258 children, marking one of the worst fire tragedies in India’s history.
