The blast occurred on Saturday afternoon at the country firecracker manufacturing unit at P. Azhagapuri in Pudukottai district.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The 54-year-old owner of a country firecracker manufacturing unit was killed and a worker sustained injuries in an explosion triggered by a fire at P. Azhagapuri near Thirumayam in Pudukottai district on Saturday afternoon.The police said the deceased was identified as S. Karuppaiah of Pillamangalam, who had been operating the unit at Ponnazhagi Nagar in P. Azhagapuri for several years. Around five persons were employed at the unit.The accident occurred when Karuppaiah and the worker, P. Braman, 50, were at the unit. A sudden fire reportedly broke out, causing the firecrackers and materials stored inside to explode.Upon receiving information, 14 personnel from the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) stations in Thirumayam and SIPCOT rushed to the spot. It took the firefighters nearly two hours to douse the blaze. A senior TNFRS official said Karuppaiah’s body was blown to pieces in the blast, while Braman was rescued with severe injuries to his leg.Following reports that more than five persons might have been trapped inside the unit, 108 ambulance services from Thirumayam, Pillaiyarpatti, and Arimalam were also mobilised. Brahman was shifted to a private hospital in Madurai for treatment.Customers surviveThe police said two persons from Karaikudi — identified as Vijayakumar and Vidhya — who had arrived at the unit in a car to purchase firecrackers, survived with minor injuries, and later returned to Karaikudi in the vehicle. The explosion caused panic in the locality. The police said the unit reportedly possessed a valid licence till 2028.Superintendent of Police Ravindrakumar Gupta, Thirumayam MLA and former Minister S. Regupathy, and Revenue Divisional Officer A. Prakash visited the spot and inspected the site. Minister for Labour Welfare and Skill Development J. Mohamed Farvas also visited the spot.The Thirumayam police have registered a case and are investigating. Published - May 30, 2026 11:54 pm IST
