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Explosives experts visit blast site

By P.V.V.Murthi

The cracker shop that was damaged in an explosion at Santhamedu in Cheyyar, Thiruvannamalai, on Monday. — Photo: A. Muralidharan

CHEYYAR Sept. 3. A team of experts led by the Controller of Explosives Department, Ministry of Industries, Government of India, Vellore, G.V.Reddy, today visited the damaged licensed fireworks shop at Cheyyar, where an explosion claimed six lives and left seven persons injured. They took samples from the site for ascertaining the cause of the explosion.

The Collector, Dheeraj Kumar, has ordered a magisterial inquiry by the District Revenue Officer, Vallalar, into the accident.

Talking to The Hindu after visiting the site, the Collector said the DRO commenced his enquiry. The PWD and Cheyyar municipality have been asked to make an assessment of the damage caused to the buildings in the shopping complex and demolish structures which were beyond repair.

The police have arrested Mahaboob Pasha, owner of the fireworks shop and seized a sizeable quantity of fireworks stored on an unlicensed premise, a km away from the explosion site. Asked whether fireworks were being manufactured at the shop where the explosion occurred, Mr. Kumar said this would be known only after the enquiry.

Enquiries revealed that Mr. Pasha sold fireworks, manufactured by him locally, for village festivals.

He is reported to have stored sizeable quantity on special orders from Chennai, which was ready for despatch at the time of the explosion.

The Dairy Development Minister, S.Ramachandran, called on the families of the deceased, placed wreaths on bodies and disbursed a relief Rs.1,000 each to the dependents from his personal funds.

The relief amount of Rs.50,000 each announced by the Government for families of the deceased and Rs.15,000 each to the seven injured persons would be disbursed as soon as it was received.

Of the seven persons admitted to the Government General Hospital, Chennai, three were discharged and three shifted to the general ward.

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