Fire at Thiruvananthapuram fireworks unit leaves three injured, one critical

A fire broke out at a fireworks manufacturing unit in Palode on Monday, leaving four women workers injured and one critical.

The Palode police identified the injured as Sheeba, Jaya, Sreemathi and Manju. Among them, Sheeba’s condition is reported to be critical. They are being treated at the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital.

The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. at the unit located at Perayam, near Palode. The makeshift thatched shed, owned by Palode native Ajikumar, is known to have been operating in the area for nearly five years for manufacturing ‘ola padakkam’ (leaf crackers).

The fire is suspected to have been triggered by a spark when the workers were attaching fuses to the firecrackers. The blaze was brought under control by Fire and Rescue Services personnel from fire force station at Vithura. The storage facility of the unit is located nearly 25 m away from the manufacturing shed.

An investigation has been instituted to determine the exact cause of the fire and to verify whether safety protocols were properly followed.