An explosion rocked a fireworks factory in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu earlier today, leaving several people injured. The blast, which occurred in the morning hours, sent panic across the area as thick plumes of smoke billowed from the site.
A video from the scene showed dense smoke rising into the sky. The exact number of casualties is yet to be confirmed.
Eight workers killed earlier in explosion
In a separate incident, in the state’s Virudhunagar fireworks belt, eight workers lost their lives and five others were injured in a tragic explosion at a fireworks manufacturing unit in Chinnakamanpatti near Sattur in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district on July 1, 2025.
The blast had occurred atGokules Fireworks, situated along the Sivakasi-Sattur road. According to police, the explosion may have been triggered by friction during the process of filling chemicals used to make aerial fireworks. Over 50 workers were reportedly present at the time of the incident, and seven working sheds were completely destroyed in the blast.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin expressed his condolences and announced financial assistance to the victims’ families. A solatium of Rs 4 lakh each will be provided to the families of those who died in the explosion from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund. Additionally, Rs 1 lakh will be given to each of the seriously injured and Rs 50,000 to those with minor injuries.
26 lives claimed so far in similar incidents
In the first half of 2025, eight fireworks-related accidents in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar district have claimed 26 lives and injured 20 others.
This continues a deadly trend, with 17 such incidents in 2024 resulting in 52 deaths, 42 of them in Virudhunagar alone, which hosts around 1,000 fireworks units and 3,000 cracker shops. The frequency of these accidents raises concerns about safety in the region's firecracker manufacturing industry.