Factory claims it met all guidelines

TRICHY: Four days after the blast that killed 19 people and injured 12 people at

Vetrivel Explosives

private limited at Murungaipatti in

Thuraiyur

, joint chief controller of explosives

Ashok Kumar Yadav

from the petroleum and explosives safety organization (PESO), Chennai, said that the factory had submitted a report to PESO stating they have rectified all the violations found in the safety audit conducted in September. “They said that they had implemented everything and submitted a report to us. That can be verified only in the next safety audit or the next inspection before the blast occurred.The investigation will bring out the truth,“ Yadav told TOI over phone after completing a day-long inspection at the burnt-down factory on Sunday.

The high-level panel including chief controller of ex plosives N T Shahu from Nagpur and joint chief controller of explosives Ashok Kumar Yadav for South-circle from Chennai made an on-spot inspection to find out the cause of the accident.

A safety audit conducted by PESO had brought to light six violations in the unit that was producing pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) used in mining activities to break rocks.

TOI had carried a news item on December 1about the lapses pointed out in the safety audit, including a detached plummer block and the un even oscillation of the shaft in the nitration plant. Temporary support was found provided in many of the pipelines. The nitric acid pipeline was hanging without support. In the acid fume tank, the vent pipe was taken out for maintenance and fumes were emanating from the nozzle. The unit was asked to provide another line with a valve to the filter tank so that even if the single valve failed, the product could be safely disposed of.

On Saturday , Yadav suspended the license of the factory following the accident.However, there was confusion among officials in the district administration whether it was a suspension or cancellation.

“We have suspended the license of the factory. Further decision on the cancellation will be taken by the high level committee. The process for neutralising the chemicals is going on,“ Yadav told reporters on Sunday afternoon at Murungaipatti.

Kin of victims of Trichy explosion get Rs 3 lakh

The next of kin of 19 victims of the blast at Murungaipatti village in Trichy district received compensation of `3 lakh each from the chief minister's public relief fund here on Sunday. The compensation was also provided to 12 injured people. However, the bereaved were still upset over the delay in finding out the reason for the blast. A night after the grief-stricken family members and the relatives of the deceased and the injured went into agitation mode resulting in caning by the police in Naganallur near Murungaipatti on Saturday night, the state government arranged for disbursal of compensation at Thuraiyur Taluk office in Trichy on Sunday. State tourism minister Vellamandi N Natarajan and state minorities welfare and backward community minister S Valarmathi gave away the cheques of Rs 3 lakh each to family members of 16 deceased workers of Vetrivel Explosives.