Ahead of Diwali festival this month-end, nine people, among them six women, were burnt to death and about 20 others were injured when fire crackers exploded on Thursday at a wholesale shop in this Tamil Nadu town, police said.
Sivakasi town in Virudhunagar district, about 540 km from Chennai in the state's southern region, is the largest manufacturing centre of firecrackers and matches in the country, especially for festivals like Diwali and other ceremonies.
"We have registered a case against the agency's owner and its employees for the explosions and causing death and destruction of public property," added Perumal.
(With inputs from IANS and The News Minute.)
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