Two persons suffered severe burns in a fire accident at an firecracker godown in the residential quarters of Teachers’ Colony in Walajah, near Ranipet, on Sunday. The police suspect an electrical short circuit may have caused the blaze.
The police said the victims K. Suresh, 42, owner of the godown attached to his house, and his co-worker S. Rajendran, 36, were segregating the crackers in the asbestos-roofed warehouse, when smoke engulfed the room, resulting in the firecrackers exploding. The duo were stuck in the godown.
The incident happened around 5 p.m. Upon hearing the commotion, neighbours alerted the police and firefighters. A five-member firefighter team and two vehicles from Ranipet and Walajah were pressed into service. After over an hour, they doused the fire. However, the godown, which was around 150 sq.ft, was gutted. The police said the explosion did not damage the adjacent houses.
The injured were first admitted to the Government Taluk Hospital in Walajah. However, doctors referred them to the Government Medical College Hospital in Vellore. A case has been filed by the Walajah police.
“Mr. Suresh works for his elder brother K. Sasikumar’s licensed cracker unit that is located elsewhere,” M. Prabhu, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Ranipet), told The Hindu. Initial inquiry revealed that Mr. Sasikumar’s cracker unit was located in Kilpudupet village, around 3 km from Walajah town. The temporary godown at Teachers’ Colony was set up recently to hold a small quantity of crackers that can be sold for marriages and temple festivals. The investigation is on, the police said.
