8.00 pm: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday expressed deep shock over the Sivakasi firecracker tragedy in Tamil Nadu and condoled the deaths in the accident.
Manmohan Singh said he stood with the people of Tamil Nadu in the hour of grief and conveyed his “heartfelt condolences” to the members of the bereaved families.
The prime minister also announced an ex-gratia payment of R s2 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured in the fire.
7.30 pm: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday condoled the deaths of persons in a fire mishap at Sivakasi and announced a cash relief of Rs 2 lakhs each to next of kin of those killed.
The relief to the families would be given from the Chief Minister’s General Relief Fund, she said.
Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured, she announced Rs 25,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively for those who had suffered serious and simple injuries. She said 78 persons had sustained injuries.
6.13pm: With rescue work over and the fire under control, the sad task of counting bodies from the Om Shakti fireworks blaze is now underway. With more than 150 people trapped inside the factory when the fire broke out, the death toll is bound to climb, as many of those injured were rescued in critical condition. The latest toll puts the dead at 52, while another 50 people are reportedly injured.
5.45pm: The latest toll update puts the Sivakasi Om Shakti Fireworks factory blaze at 40.
5.02pm: The Sivakasi fireworks factory blaze is finally under control, but at a heavy cost. The latest death toll reported by television channels is 37, while a further 45 are reportedly injured. The good news however is that all those who were reported to have been trapped inside the factory have been evacuated.
Rescue workers have also completed combing operations and have said that there are no more bodies inside the factory premises. However it is likely that the toll could go up further, since some of the injured are in critical condition
4.54pm: Some good news at last. The latest reports coming in say that the blaze which started at around 2.30pm this afternoon has finally been brought under control. The Times Now television channel also reported that all workers who were trapped inside the building have also been rescued.
4.20pm:As rescue workers finally work their way inside the fire gutted Om Shakti firecracker factory, new reports coming in say that 16 charred bodies have been identified.
Previously officials could not enter the factory premises as the fire had not been doused and there was a likelihood of explosions, Virudhunagar District Superintendent of Police Najmal Huda said.
Activities in cracker units go on at breakneck speed during this time in view of the festive season, he said.
A factory staff member said 300 persons were at work at the unit when the fire broke out. The toll is likely to go up further now that rescue workers can enter the premises and look for more people who have been killed/injured as a result of the fire.
4.00pm: The latest reports coming in have put the death toll from the Om Shakti fireworks factory fire at 31. As many as 150 people are also still trapped inside the building with rescue workers unable to speed up operations due to the fear of more explosions occurring.
3.30pm: R Raju, DRO, Virudhunagarsay has confirmed 16 deaths and said more than 150 people are still trapped in the factory. Most of the deaths were caused by burns and shrapnel injuries after the fire triggered off explosive blasts inside the firecracker unit of the factory. Some visuals of the fire can be seen in the video below:
3.25pm: Rescue workers have been able to enter the factory and are trying to assess the damage, latest reports say. Most of the people have been evacuated, and barricades have been set up to ensure people are safe and do not come close to the spot.
3.20 pm: TV Reports say more than 40 workers have suffered serious burn injuries. Rescue workers say though the fire is under control now, police still can’t enter the factory as the explosions are still on.
3.00pm: The injured have been taken to the government hospitals in Sivakasi and Madurai.
2.50 pm: The PTI news agency has released an updated toll from the Sivakasi fire, saying that 30 people have been killed and a further 70 injured. Most of those killed were bystanders while the exact number of people inside the factory was not immediately known. Normally, 300 workers work in the factory, an official said. The fire is reportedly almost under control.
2.30pm: Rescue officials are facing difficulties in conducting operations because of fear of further explosions inside the Om Shakti fireworks factory in Sivakasi. The SP of the area said the danger of the situation was exacerbated by the fact that the factory was stocked full of firecrackers for Diwali. “We cannot go in yet, no one can go in because the explosions are still going on and there are magazines still left that can cause further explosions”, he said.
2.20pm: The SP of the area speaking to the Times Now television channel, said a number of the deaths were of factory employees, and said that the fire had been preceded by an explosion that was so large that bystanders had been hit by debris and some of them were in critical condition, and were likely to die.
The SP also said that many people were trapped inside the building, but said no one could enter the building because of the fear of explosions. He said he could also not confirm the number of injured.
Screen grab from ibnlive
2.10pm: Reports have just come in of a fire at a firecracker factory in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu. Twenty people are reported to have been killed as a result of the blaze, while many others have sustained burn injuries. The injured have now been rushed to nearby hospitals. There is still no word on what caused the fire.
NDTV reported that firefighters were at the scene, but were approaching carefully because they feared an explosion given the number of chemicals inside the factory.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday condoled the deaths of persons in a fire mishap at Sivakasi and announced a cash relief of Rs 2 lakhs each to next of kin of those killed.
The Chief Minister expressed shock and grief over the incident and also deputed five of her cabinet colleagues, including Finance Minister O Panneerselvam to console the relatives and meet the injured in hospital.
The relief to the families would be given from the Chief Minister’s General Relief Fund, she said.
Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured, she announced Rs 25,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively for those who had suffered serious and simple injuries.
She said 78 persons had sustained injuries. “I have asked the local administration to provide them with good medical care,” she said in a statement. Further, a team of doctors has also been deputed from Madurai, she added.
