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Blast in Tamil Nadu; twenty-one killed

At least 21 people were killed and 30 injured when crackers exploded in a Maruti van outside a shop at Pudupettai, near Athur town in Salem district of Tamil Nadu, police said on Tuesday.

The van was completely destroyed, and so were about 25 houses in the vicinity, the police said, adding the incident occurred on Monday night.

According to the police, the blast occurred when throw-and-burst crackers, meant for use during the Diwali festival, exploded while being loaded on to a Maruti van. This caused the two LPG cylinders in the gas-operated vehicle also to explode, the police added.

The police have ruled out sabotage or the involvement of terrorists and detained Rajendran, brother of Ravi, one of the victims who was involved in the cracker trade.

Some officials said the toll is likely to go up as some people were still missing. As many as 25 houses in the locality were brought down almost completely, and some persons being caught in the debris cannot be ruled out, local residents pointed out.

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has ordered an inquiry by the District Revenue Officer (DRO) and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 each to the next of kin of those killed in the mishap.

Health Minister S Semmalai visited the injured in the hospital and also the site of the accident.

Accidents involving fire-crackers are a regular feature in the run-up to Diwali, the festival of lights.

Tamil Nadu is home to a major cracker manufacturing industry, which is notorious for its unsafe working conditions. Apart from this, the employment of children is another major reason for its infamy.

Retailers from all over the country flock to Tamil Nadu, specifically the town of Sivakasi, in the months of September and October to buy the crackers directly from manufacturers and avoid middlemen.

However, in their bid to maximize profits, manufacturers do not pay attention to quality or safety precautions and also avoid giving or accepting bills, which saves them the trouble of paying taxes.

But this poses a major problem to distributors and retailers as transporters refuse to ferry goods without bills. To get over this hurdle, they use private vehicles.

Which is what may have happened in this case. Unfortunately, not following safety precautions may have proved fatal.

At present, the Salem district administration is busy with the governor's visit. It is only once he leaves that they are likely to turn their attention to this case.

With inputs from Ganesh Nadar and PTI

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