Two killed in firecracker unit blast near Sivakasi

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Two workers were today killed in an explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in a village near here, police said.
The explosion occurred due to friction when the two workers, Ponnupandi and Alagarsamy, were filling cracker tubes with chemicals.
Two cracker manufacturing sheds, where chemicals were filled into tubes, were razed to the ground in the blast which triggered a fire, police said.
Though the private cracker manufacturer had employed about 250 workers including women, only 80 had turned up for work today as a temple festival was underway in the village.
Both victims were daily wagers and their bodies were trapped under the debris after the explosion.

Fire and rescue service personnel later removed the debris and retrieved the bodies.
No other person was injured in the accident. Sivakasi Fire Station Officer Murugan said the fire was doused in an hour.
District Revenue Officer Muthukumaran SP Aravindar also visited the spot.