Representative imageChennai: As many as 20 people were killed after fire broke out at an explosives factory near Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu. Two floors of the building were gutted in the fire.
According to Manorama News, at least 24 persons were working inside the factory at the time of the accident. Four people with severe burn injuries were rushed to the hospital.
"An explosion was heard at Vetrivel Explosives near Tiruchirappalli (333 km from Chennai) in the morning. The ground and first floors have collapsed," said G. Sathyanarayanan, deputy director-in-charge of fire and rescue services (central region), Tamil Nadu.
"The fire is under control, but smoke was still emanating, which is being tackled," Sathyanarayanan said. Around 25 fire service personnel were at the accident site. Three fire tenders were pressed into service.
"Once the debris are cleared, we would know about the number of fatalities, if any," he said.
(With agency inputs)
