Sivakasi cracker factory fire: 12 including factory owner arrested

Sivakasi: Six more people were arrested in the Sivakasi cracker factory fire that left 37 people dead on Wednesday, taking the total number of people arrested so far to 12 which also includes the factory owner.

Investigations had confirmed that the factory was operating illegally and had been inspected less than 24 hours earlier and ordered to close temporarily due to violations.

It had been inspected less than 24 hours earlier and ordered to close temporarily due to violations. But the factory owners did not comply, a decision that clearly proved fatal. Almost 300 people were inside the plant when the tragedy occured, 37 died and several others were injured in the blaze.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa ordered a CBI inquiry. A separate probe has been ordered into other cracker units as well.

A special team of doctors is treating those injured. "We have a created a special medical team to treat these patients. We are providing all facilities to the affected, we would administer treatment to them in a separate ward. We have all the facilities for the burn injuries like a special doctor and a team of plastic surgeons," said Dr Nandagopal, who was treating the injured.

The government has announced Rs 2 lakh as compensation for each victim's family. But no arrests have been made yet for running the plant illegally.

The entire incident has brought back into focus the necessity of a safety system which has to be put in place across all of such fire cracker factories that are setup in Sivakasi, especially during the Diwali season when all of them work around the clock to complete big orders that come to them.

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