Three killed in fire at cracker unit

ALAPPUZHA: Three people were killed when the explosives stored at a cracker-making unit caught fire near Pallipad Junction under Haripad police station limits in the district on Sunday afternoon.

According to the police, the deceased were Sunitha, 40, wife of Iqbal, Moorthy, 35, and Michael Raj, 45, of Meenampatti, Sivakasi, in Tamil Nadu.

Five people, including two women, suffered serious burns in the explosion.

The condition of injured Susi, 40, wife of Sunny, is said to be critical. The other injured are Inassimuthu, 54, Yesu, 54, Murugan, 40, and Michaelamma, 60, all hailing from Tamil Nadu.

The incident occurred around 2 pm when the workers were manufacturing the crackers.

Eight workers who suffered burns were rushed to the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital. Three of them died.

According to Kayamkulam DySP Suneeshkumar, the unit had no licence.

Mujeeb, brother of Sunitha, was the owner of the unit. Mujeeb’s family had been conducting the business for several years. Mujeeb is absconding.

The house where the unit functioned was destroyed in the fire. The Fire and Rescue Service personnel took three hours to put out the fire. The cause of the mishap is yet to be ascertained. The police have registered a case and are investigating.

Mujeeb Rahman was given licence only for manufacturing and storing crackers at Nalukettu Junction under Kareelakulangara police station limits.

The DySP said that the Haripad police had registered a case on February 21, 2009, for illegally running the cracker-manufacturing unit. Mujeeb’s father Rajan, brother Suraj and a worker hailing from Tamil Nadu had been killed in 2001 after their cracker-making unit in Haripad caught fire.