On person was killed and 9 others, including six women, were injured in a blaze at two firecracker manufacturing units at Pulinkunnu in Kuttanad on Friday.
The deceased has been identified as Kunjumol, 55, an employee of the unit.
The injured were Eliyamma Thomas, 52; Vijayamma, 56; Sidharthan, 61; Sarasamma, 56; Omana, 49; Reji, 50; Sheela, 48; Binu, 30; and Bindu, 42; all employees of the units. The injured were admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Alappuzha.
No licence for unit
Officials said that six of the injured were in serious condition. The Pulinkunnu police have registered a case in connection with the incident. According to the police, an explosion in one of the units, run by Kochumon Antony at Ward 8, resulted in a fire around 2.20 p.m. It soon spread to the other unit, just 5 metres away. The police said that Antony did not possess a valid licence for manufacturing firecrackers.
“He possesses a licence for selling firecrackers. The manufacturing units were being operated illegally,” a police officer said.
Following the fire, the units were gutted completely. Fire tenders from Alappuzha and Changanasserry were pressed into action to bring the blaze under control.
