India: Fireworks factory explosion kills at least 19
February 13, 2021
More than 30 people were injured in the blast, which took place at a factory in Tamil Nadu state. Police are still investigating the cause of the explosion.
More than 30 firework factory workers were left injured in the explosionImage: AFP/Getty Images
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Several explosions at a private fireworks factory in southern India have killed at least 19 people and injured dozens more, authorities said Saturday.
The blast occurred on Friday afternoon at a factory in Tamil Nadu state's Virudhunagar district, approximately 520 kilometers (325 miles) south of Chennai.
Those injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, police officer Raj Narayanan said, adding that 11 people died on the spot. Four workers later died of burn injuries in the hospital.
Local official R. Kannan told French news agency AFP that the death toll was likely to go up in the next few hours.
"So far 34 people have been injured and are undergoing treatment. Some of them are severely burnt," he said, adding that there were around 74 people in the factory at the time of the incident.
Cause of blast
An officer from the local fire department told broadcaster NDTV that the blasts occurred while chemicals were being mixed by workers to make fireworks.
"Friction during mixing of chemicals appears to have caused the explosion," he said.
Ten fire brigades were called to fight the blaze.
Officer Narayanan said that the blasts "continued for a long time, making it difficult for fire and rescue services personnel to enter the unit."
"There were a series of explosions followed by the fire, which engulfed the unit. Several cracker-making sheds were completely gutted," he said.
Lucrative fireworks industry
According to local media reports, the factory was being run illegally. Many illegal factories in India produce fireworks that are cheaper to buy than legal ones. Fireworks manufacturing is a thriving business in a country where pyrotechnics are often used for celebrations such as weddings and festivals.
Online south Indian news agency The News Minute said the owner of the factory was missing and that the police were still investigating the cause of the blast.
In response to the explosion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said families of the deceased victims would receive compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,700, €2,273).
mvb/rc (AP, dpa, AFP)
Delhi shrouded in smog after Diwali
Air pollution in the Indian capital has hit hazardous levels after a night of revelry to celebrate the festival of Diwali. Despite a ruling to limit the use of firecrackers, most celebrations went ahead as normal.
Image: Reuters/A. Fadnavis
Invisible India
Air quality had already deteriorated sharply ahead of the main celebration – as this picture of a cluster of temples in the Indian capital shows from a couple of days earlier. As winter approaches, air quality tends to worsen for various reasons, including the burning of crop residues outside the city and increased diesel emissions.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/N. Kachroo
Addition to tradition
Diwali is traditionally celebrated by the lighting of lamps, but firecrackers have since become an integral part of the tradition. They’re also used in wedding ceremonies. Explosions often occur in the illegal backyard and underground workshops that make firecrackers for the event. An explosion at a licensed factory in the state of Uttar Pradesh last month killed seven people.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/N. Kachroo
Rules go unheeded
Here, one of Delhi's most popular landmarks, the Red Fort, appears in a haze on the day after the main Diwali celebrations. In October, India’s Supreme Court ruled that the use of Diwali fireworks should only take place within a narrow time window and that only "green" fireworks — which give off less soot and smoke — should be used. However, authorities appeared reluctant to enforce the rules.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/N. Kachroo
Light over darkness
The five-day festival of lights is principally seen as a Hindu celebration, symbolizing "the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance." In the northern hemisphere, it falls between mid-November and coincides with the new moon, with the main day of celebration being the third day. Diwali is also a time of celebration for Sikhs, Jains, and some Buddhists.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/N. Kachroo
A family stroll
Some, like this family on the morning after Diwali, choose to wear masks to protect themselves. But the practice is nowhere near as popular in Delhi as it is in other cities affected by smog, such as Beijing. Children are particularly vulnerable. Last month the World Health Organization said exposure to toxic air indoors and out kills some 600,000 children under the age of 15 each year.
