Tamil Nadu woke up to news of massive blaze engulfing the Tata Electronics plant in Krishnagiri district and at a fireworks unit in Sattur in Virudhunagar district on Saturday morning. Fortunately, no major human casualties were reported till late evening.
In an ironic coincidence, blaze at the Tata Electronics unit occurred on a day when Chief Minister M K Stalin laid the foundation for the JLR and Tata Motors manufacturing facility at a Small Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) complex in Ranipet district.
The fire broke out at dawn at Nagamangalam in Krishnagiri where the Tata Electronics plant has been functioning for years. More than 10 fire tenders were pressed into service to fight the blaze.
“There has been an unfortunate incident of fire at our plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. Our emergency protocols at the plant ensured that all our employees are safe. The cause of the fire is under investigation and we will take necessary actions to safeguard the interest of our employees and other stakeholders,” said a statement from Tata Electronics Private Limited.
Sources said four workers suffered from choking due to the smoke. They were admitted to a private hospital.
Meanwhile, in another incident, a major explosion occurred at a private fireworks unit near Sattur razing down as many as 15 sheds. There was no official information about casualties thought some workers were present at the manufacturing unit at the time of the explosion. The workers were mixing chemicals when an explosion was triggered around 7 am. The police arrested the manager of the fireworks unit.
Fire fighters found it difficult to enter the inner premises as the fireworks continued to explode for several hours.
