20190930 Three killed, 15 injured as fireworks-laden mini-van explodes in Villupuram
India Sep 30 2019 “Automobile & Railway”
Dead : dead 1 to 4 Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured more than 10
Three killed, 15 injured as fireworks-laden mini-van explodes in Villupuram
Updated: 2019–09–30
VILLUPURAM: Three people, including driver and cleaner of a mini-van laden with fireworks , died and 15 villagers and road users were injured, when the vehicle exploded in Nangilikondan village near Gingee in Villupuram district on Monday morning.
The explosion was so intense that the mini-van was reduced to smithereens. The front portions of five shops, located in the vicinity, were damaged. Police, who are yet to ascertain the identity of the third person killed in the explosion, are conducting further investigations.
Gingee DSP K Neethiraj told TOI that Parthasarthy, a Tiruvannamalai-based cracker shop owner, had procured a load of fireworks from Veerasamy, who is running a unit in Puducherry.
On Monday morning, driver and cleaner of the mini-van Elavarasan and Saibaba, who were assigned to transport the load, saw a thin line of smoke rising from the fireworks stock.
Elavarasan, who immediately stopped the vehicle near a tea shop in Nagilikondan village, alerted villagers to move away from the spot and with the help of Saibaba poured pots of water on it. Unfortunately, the vehicle exploded with a huge noise, reducing the vehicle to small bits.
Besides Elavarasan and Saibaba, an unidentified man was also killed and 15 others, including many locals and road users, who had gathered around, standing some 50 feet away from the vehicle, were injured, the DSP said.
On being alerted, Villupuram SP S Jayakumar along with Gingee police personnel arrived at the spot to investigate.
Web Source: The times of India