Ticking time bomb: Cracker units turn death trap for untrained staff?

Of the six workers killed on Saturday, two had joined Sainath Fireworks just days ago

- HARINI M @ Virudhunagar

THE deaths of a former snack-maker and an ex-electrician, two among the six dead in the blast at Sainath Fireworks Industries in Kottaiyur, have triggered a discussion on how well these workers were trained in handling explosives.

In April 2024, a committee appointed by NGT had suggested that the workers involved in hazardous chemicals have to be trained and certified before being recruited. Speaking to TNIE, the family members of the former snack-maker, Meenakshisundaram, said he had switched his job just 10 days ago due to health reasons and better pay. Meanwhile, the ex-electrician, Sivakumar, joined the cracker unit a month ago, in December, due to a complication in his leg.