At least 12 killed in fire at Indian firecracker factory

Investigation underway into what caused blaze at the factory, says police official

CHENNAI:

At least 12 people were killed in a fire at a firecracker factory in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Friday, police said.

Raja Narayanan, a regional police official, said an investigation was under way into what caused the blaze at a factory in the village of Achankulam in the Virudhunagar district.

“Twelve people have died and 26 have been hospitalised following the accident at the factory this afternoon,” he said.

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The Virudhunagar district is India’s firecrackers capital, and hundreds of thousands of people in the region are dependent on the pyrotechnics industry for a living. Accidents are common.

At least 11 people were killed in two separate incidents in the region just before nationwide Covid-19 lockdowns were enforced in March. Fires in firecracker factories in 2009 and 2012 killed nearly 40 people each.