6 women among 8 killed in Sivakasi firecracker tragedy

October 20, 2016 17:15

As many as eight people, including six women, were killed in a fire cracker mishap at the fireworks hub of Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, today.

The mishap, which occurred when a fire broke out while crackers were being offloaded from a vehicle to a shop, comes days ahead of Diwali festival when fireworks units in the district are abuzz with activity to cater to the countrywide demand for crackers.

"A total of eight people were killed and six of them were women," a senior police official said. Virudhunagar District Collector A Sivagnanam said a total of 22 persons were affected, of whom eight died.

"The deaths occurred due to suffocation as result of excess fumes and not because of any blast," he said, adding that those affected by smoke inhalation were admitted to a government hospital and a nearby private hospital.

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