Virudhunagar: In an explosion at an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit located in a house in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu, three individuals were tragically charred to death, as reported by the police.

The incident took place near the Sattur area, where the illegal firecracker production was occurring within a residential property. According to police reports, the victims died instantly at the scene following the explosion.

“Near Sattur, three individuals were charred to death on the spot due to an explosion that happened while firecrackers were being manufactured illegally at a house,” stated the District Superintendent of Police (SP).

An investigation is currently in progress, and more information regarding the incident is awaited.

Previously, on July 23, more than 200 firecracker factories in Virudhunagar district, which had been closed for several days due to ongoing inspections following a series of explosions, reopened and resumed their production activities.

This decision was made to mitigate the risk of license cancellation that could occur if the factories remained shut.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had recently initiated suo motu action, mandating an immediate inspection of all firecracker factories in the district.

In response, 15 inspection teams were established, and inspections commenced on July 14. Since that date, over 200 factories operating in Sivakasi, Vembakottai, and nearby areas were closed for inspection.

During these inspections, any identified violations led to the temporary suspension of factory licenses. Concerned that this could affect the production of firecrackers for Diwali, many factories voluntarily halted their operations.