9 killed, 12 injured in TN firecracker unit blast

Nine people, three of them women, were killed and 12 others injured in an explosion at a licensed firecracker shop and godown in Krishnagiri town of Tamil Nadu. Shop owner Ravi, his family members and employees were packing firecrackers at the shop when they started to explode. The conflagration spread and the entire shop and godown collapsed. The fire spread to nearby commercial establishments too. Fire and rescue services took nearly four hours to put out the blaze. Only after this could they pull victims out from under the debris and take them to hospital. PM Narendra Modi announced Rs 200,000 as ex gratia to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for each of the injured. Chief minister MK Stalin also announced Rs 300,000 each to the families of the deceased. Krishnagiri district collector KM Sarayu said the shop had a licence till 2024.