Police, safety officials and judges are now examining whether the licensed fireworks unit broke staffing and holiday rules.
VIRUDHUNAGAR, India — A powerful explosion tore through a licensed fireworks factory in southern India on Sunday, killing at least 25 workers, injuring several others and setting off a second blast during rescue work as officials opened a criminal investigation.
The disaster at the Vanaja Fireworks unit in Kattanarpatti, near Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu, became one of the district’s deadliest industrial accidents in recent years and renewed scrutiny of a region long tied to India’s fireworks trade. By Tuesday, police said arrests had been made, courts had begun pressing the state on compensation and safety enforcement, and families were still mourning workers who had gone to a factory that officials say should not have been operating that day.
The first blast struck at about 3 p.m. Sunday while workers were handling materials inside the unit near Kattanarpatti village, according to district officials and local reports. Fire and rescue crews, police officers and ambulances rushed to the scene as flames spread across the factory complex and repeated detonations made it difficult for responders to move in. A local police officer said the force of the explosion reduced three rooms to rubble and damaged nearby structures, underscoring how quickly the accident moved beyond a single shed. Through Sunday evening and into Monday, the death toll kept rising as bodies were recovered from collapsed sections and badly burned survivors were taken to Virudhunagar Government Medical College Hospital. Then, at about 7:20 p.m., another explosion erupted while an earthmover was clearing debris, forcing rescuers to scatter and slowing the search for anyone still trapped.
Officials said the factory held a valid license, but they also said the unit was not supposed to be functioning on a Sunday. Reports from district authorities and local media said between about 50 and 100 people were on the premises when the blast hit, far above the number the unit was reportedly allowed to employ at one time. Most of the dead were women from nearby villages where fireworks work remains a major source of income. District Collector N.O. Sukhaputra said the injured workers were being treated at the government hospital and that responders also suffered injuries in the second blast, including police and fire personnel. Investigators have not publicly identified the exact trigger, but they are examining whether workers were mixing chemicals at an improper time or in violation of safety rules. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the accident deeply distressing, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the deaths caused immense sorrow as both leaders offered condolences to the families.
The blast also exposed the deep dependence that villages around Virudhunagar and Sivakasi have on the fireworks business. The district is one of India’s best known firecracker hubs, and thousands of families rely on the trade through factory work, packing, transport and seasonal orders linked to weddings, festivals and village celebrations. That dependence has long existed beside recurring safety concerns. Just days before the Kattanarpatti explosion, another fireworks unit near Sattur in the same district saw a fatal accident. Separate incidents in 2024 also killed workers in Virudhunagar district, and a major Sivakasi factory fire in 2012 killed dozens, becoming a lasting marker of the risks tied to the industry. Lawyers, local officials and news reports have repeatedly pointed to a familiar pattern of overstaffed units, hurried chemical handling and weak enforcement. This latest explosion landed in that history, making the disaster more than a one day tragedy and turning it into another test of whether oversight will finally change.
Police said a criminal case was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Explosives Act, and special teams were formed to trace those responsible for running the unit. Early reports said factory officials had fled. By Tuesday, police said four people had been arrested and one of the prime accused, Muthu Manickam, had surrendered before the Virudhunagar district court. Officials also said all 25 victims had been identified and their bodies were being handed over to relatives. The investigation is now being carried out with help from forensic experts, fire and rescue personnel and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation. The legal response widened as the Madras High Court pressed the Tamil Nadu government for instructions on compensation and on broader safeguards after a lawyer urged judicial intervention. Judges also asked for related earlier safety cases to be listed, and a further hearing in the broader matter is scheduled for June 8.
Outside the government hospital and in villages that lost multiple workers, grief quickly turned into anger. Some relatives refused to accept bodies immediately and staged road blockades, saying the announced relief was too small for families that had lost their main earners. Several demanded 2 million rupees in compensation and government jobs for dependents. Witnesses described a scene of smoke, wrecked sheds and bodies so badly burned that identification took time. Ranganathan, a resident quoted in local video coverage, said nothing was recognisable as victims were loaded into vehicles from the destroyed site. At the same time, hospital staff and district officials were trying to move postmortem work, death certificates and legal heir documents quickly so payments could begin. The Tamil Nadu government said it would provide 500,000 rupees to each bereaved family, while the prime minister announced 200,000 rupees from the national relief fund for each person killed and 50,000 rupees for the injured.
Late Tuesday, the death toll remained 25, and police said the remaining injured workers were still receiving care. The next public milestones are the progress of the criminal and safety inquiries and the broader High Court hearing on compensation and preventive steps set for June 8.
Author note: Last updated April 21, 2026.