Chennai, Aug 25 : Two people were killed in an explosion at a firecracker unit in Avichipatti in Natham Taluk of Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu.

According to local residents, they heard a deafening sound from the cracker unit in the early morning.

Locals informed the police and a team of police personnel arrived to find that two persons were found dead inside the factory.

The bodies had borne severe injuries on the head, neck and arm.

The victims were sent to the Government Hospital, Dindigul for post-mortem and a case was registered in Natham police station.

The owner of the unit, K Selvam (54), is currently absconding.

The identity of the victims is yet to be ascertained. A police team is looking out for the owner. Natham police station SHO told IANS that the police are tracking Selvam and are checking whether he has the proper licence to run the fireworks factory.

Earlier on Saturday, two workers were killed and two others were injured in an explosion at a fireworks factory in Myladuthurai.

The deceased was identified as Karnan (27), a resident of Thiruvavaduthurai village.

The injured identified as Lakshmanan from Thiruvalangadu village and Kumar from Uthukadu village in Virudhunagar district, are admitted at Mayiladuthurai Government Medical College Hospital.

District Collector A.P. Mahabharathi and Superintendent of Police K. Stalin visited the spot and called on the injured at the hospital in Mayiladuthurai.

It may be noted that Virudhanagar in Tamil Nadu is the biggest producer of fireworks in the country. Sivakasi in Virudhanagar district is the hub of the fireworks industry in Tamil Nadu.

Dindigul and other adjoining districts of the state also have a few fireworks factories.

Tamil Nadu fireworks industry has a turnover of Rs 6000 crore annually and employs around 1lakh people directly and indirectly.

/IANS