Virudhunagar (TN): At least eleven workers of a private fireworks factory near Sattur in this district were killed in an explosion at the unit on Friday.
The incident happened while some chemicals were being mixed to produce fireworks, police said.
Ten fire fighting units from various locations have been rushed to the spot to douse the fire in the factory at Acchankulam village.
Initial reports quoting fire service personnel said about 10 people were injured and one was found dead in the explosion. However, later the death toll at the firecracker factory increased to eleven while the number of injured workers increased to 36.
Later, the Prime Minister's Office announced that an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh each has been approved from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to a fire in the fireworks factory. Moreover, Rs 50,000 will be given to those seriously injured.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 3 Lakhs each to kin of deceased and Rs 1 Lakh for critically injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared expressed grief over the incident.
BJP Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda expressed condolences for the bereaved families after learning about the unfortunate incident.
President Ram Nath Kovind also expressed grief about the tragic incident through his Tweet.
Later in the day, the death toll increased to 16 while 33 people were admitted to hospital.
(With Inputs From Nitesh Kumar Sahoo)