23 workers killed in blast at firecracker factory in Tamil Nadu; MK Stalin condoles

Virudhunagar firecracker factory blast: Dr NO Sukhaputra, District Collector of Virudhunagar, says, "...There have been 23 deaths so far in that incident. Of the 23 deaths, 19 bodies have been identified; 16 of them are women, and 3 are men. Six injured are in the ICU. While we were carrying out the rescue operation, a second blast occurred. As a result, approximately 13 people, including the police, our fire and rescue team, revenue team, and volunteers who were involved in the rescue work, are hospitalised. There are no serious injuries now, and our medical team is taking care of them. A senior IAS officer has been appointed to assist the district administration and oversee the rescue and other operations... We have filed an FIR. An investigation is underway..."