Overview
- Kerala’s Thrissur district saw a blast at a Mundathicode fireworks shed on Tuesday that killed at least 13 people and left many with severe burns, with a magisterial inquiry ordered and hospitals placed on alert.
- Following Sunday’s powerful explosion at the Vanaja unit near Kattanarpatti in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar, officials reported at least 23 dead as several outlets later put the toll at 25 while identification and treatment continued.
- Police in Virudhunagar registered a case and opened a probe after the blast destroyed multiple rooms and a second detonation injured responders during clearing, with investigators examining whether friction during chemical mixing set off the chain reaction.
- District authorities in Tamil Nadu said the factory held a Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation licence yet appeared to violate operating norms, signalled licence cancellation, and formed special teams to trace the absconding owner.
- The two disasters struck during peak festival-related production cycles and in India’s fireworks belt around Sivakasi, a region with a long record of deadly accidents tied to crowded sheds, hot drying conditions, and weak on-site safeguards.