Six arrested for Sivakasi fire tragedy
September 6th, 2012 - 11:40 am ICT by IANSChennai, Sep 6 (IANS) Six people have been arrested for the blaze in a firecracker unit in Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi town that killed 38 people, police said Thursday.
“Six people have been arrested in connection with the firecracker unit accident. The arrests include Paul Pandi who had taken the property on lease where he operated the cracker unit,” a police official told IANS from Virudhunagar district, around 500 km from here where the firecracker manufacturing hub of Sivakasi lies.
The death toll in one of the biggest and deadliest fire accidents at Om Shakthi Fireworks Wednesday at Sivakasi has increased to 38.
More than 75 people were injured in the powerful explosion that tore through one of the biggest fireworks factories in Tamil Nadu.
According to police, most of the dead and injured were bystanders hit by flying stones and other materials owing to the blasts at various sheds where the crackers were made.
So powerful was the blast that more than 40 of the 48 sheds in the fireworks unit in Sivakasi were reduced to rubble in no time.
The disaster occurred around 12.30 p.m., catching those working there as well as others unawares, police said.
The flames quickly engulfed the entire Om Shakthi Fireworks factory because a huge amount of raw materials and firecrackers were being readied for the upcoming festival season.
- 12 held for fireworks factory blaze, probe ordered (Lead) - Sep 06, 2012
- 36 die as firecracker factory catches fire (Fifth Lead) - Sep 05, 2012
- 33 die as firecracker factory catches fire (Fourth Lead) - Sep 05, 2012
- 30 dead as flames engulf firecracker factory (Third Lead) - Sep 05, 2012
- 30 dead as flames engulf firecracker factory (Second Lead) - Sep 05, 2012
- 30 dead as flames engulf firecracker factory (Lead) - Sep 05, 2012
- 20 killed in fireworks factory explosion - Sep 05, 2012
- Blaze at fireworks factory in southern India kills 38, injures 60 - Sep 06, 2012
- 237 lives lost in cracker unit accidents in Sivakasi - Sep 05, 2012
- PM condoles Sivakasi fire victims - Sep 05, 2012
- Sivakasi blast: NHRC notice to Tamil Nadu - Sep 07, 2012
- Sivakasi cracker business roars to life before Diwali - Oct 26, 2010
- Firecrackers go green this Diwali - Oct 23, 2011
- High fuel prices scorch firecracker business, says survey - Oct 20, 2011
- Three killed in fire cracker unit blast in Punjab - Apr 13, 2012
Tags: blasts, blaze, bystanders, crackers, death toll, explosion, factories, fire accidents, fire tragedy, firecracker, firecrackers, fireworks factory, flames, om, pandi, police official, raw materials, rubble, sheds, tamil nadu