At least four cracker making sheds were destroyed in the blasts.
VIRUDHUNAGAR: Sixteen people died and around 20 others suffered injuries in a series of blasts in a fireworks manufacturing unit at Achankulam near Sattur in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu on Friday afternoon.
District collector R Kannan told TOI that the deceased include seven women and five men. “We have identified five men and five women. Two women are yet to be identified while the gender of the four other bodies is yet to be ascertained,” he said.
The accident happened around 1.30pm in a cracker unit named Mariammal Fireworks which is licenced by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).