Three workers killed in Tamil Nadu quarry explosion, bodies severely damaged

Virudhunagar, May 1 (PTI) At least three workers were killed in an explosion at a stone quarry here on Wednesday, and in the impact, their body parts got strewn around, with some buried in debris, police said.

Expressing grief over the deaths, Chief Minister M K Stalin conveyed his condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families and said they would be given a solatium after the Election Commission's permission is obtained.

The explosion led to clouds of smoke and sand in the quarry and a small building -- a warehouse -- was flattened.

Visuals of the blast captured by a nearby CCTV camera was widely shared on social media and the impact of the explosion was felt by residents of nearby areas. The people staged a protest demanding that the quarry be shut.

Virudhunagar Police Superintendent K Feroze Khan Abdullah said the blast occurred when workers unloaded explosives from a vehicle in order to store them at the warehouse on the premises of the stone quarry.

Some body parts have been strewn around and also buried in debris, he said answering a question.

The explosion appeared to be "due to mishandling" of explosives, the official said, adding that a case has been registered and an investigation is on.

"They have explosives licence. It is a licensed premises and a person linked to the facility is being questioned in connection with the explosion," he said. PTI