Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalim issues 3 lakh each to kin of Salem firecracker explosion victims

Salem: Following the death of four people in a firecracker explosion during a temple festival procession at Kanjanayakkanpatti near Omalur here on Friday night, chief minister M K Stalin on Saturday expressed his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families and announced a solatium of Rs3 lakh each for the kin of the deceased.

Later in the day, tourism minister R Rajendran, who inspected the accident site along with district collector R Brindha Devi, handed over cheques for Rs3 lakh to the families of the victims. The minister also handed over another Rs2 lakh each in cash, which was announced by the DMK, to the kin of the deceased.

The incident took place around 9pm on Friday in Kanjanayakkanpatti village, where the Draupathi Amman Temple festival was being celebrated after a gap of 27 years.

According to a police officer, a sky shot firecracker that was set off before the procession fell and landed in a sack full of firecrackers, triggering a massive explosion. T Selvaraj, 29, of Kottamedu in Kanjanayakkanpatti, and S Karthikeyan, 12, and Tamilselvan, 11, both residents of Kuruvaliyur, died on the spot. Lokesh, 20, of Kottamedu, was admitted to the Salem Govt Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital with severe injuries. He later died in the hospital without responding to treatment.

Bodies of the deceased were handed over to their family members after the autopsy on Saturday. Based on a complaint lodged by the Dharapuram village administrative officer, the Theevattipatti police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.