Under fire

• The firecracker manufacturing belt in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, has seen a high number of accidents in the fireworks industry.

• In 2025, 26 people died and 20 were injured in eight accidents.

• In 2024, 17 accidents were reported in fireworks units, resulting in 52 deaths.

• In 2023, 79 workers were killed in 27 accidents, including 28 in 15 accidents.

• An explosion at a fireworks factory in Sattur, near Sivakasi, resulted in eight deaths and five injuries.

• Firecracker units store highly inflammable chemicals that can ignite and burn easily.

• The state has a significant role in regulating these units, as they require a license from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization.

• The Explosives Rules, 2008, govern fireworks units, requiring strict precautions to prevent fire or explosion accidents.

• State intervention is suggested to involve manufacturers to prevent further accidents and lives lost.

• The state’s role in ensuring compliance is questioned, as preventable tragedies often repeat.