In the wake of the blast at an explosives manufacturing unit in T. Murungapatti which claimed 19 lives, the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) has suspended the licence of Vetrivel Explosives Limited.
An order to this effect was issued by the Joint Chief Controller of Explosives, PESO, South Circle, Chennai, stating that the licence had been suspended as an interim measure under Section 6 (E) of the Explosives Act, 1884, and Rule 118 (5) of the Explosives Rules, 2008.
The order further stated that all operations related to manufacturing, transportation and storage should be stopped until clearance for the same is obtained from the PESO, and that the site of the explosion should not be disturbed so as to enable an inquiry into the incident.
Notice issued
A show cause notice has been issued to Vetrivel Explosives Limited, asking the firm why it should not face permanent closure.
In a related development, Tiruchi Collector K.S. Palanisamy has instituted a magisterial inquiry headed by the District Revenue Officer into the cause of the explosion.
Speaking to The Hindu , he said that the inquiry would encompass all aspects of the accident including the possible violation of safety rules and the causes and circumstances that led to the explosion.
In response to the demand for sanctioning compensation to the victims’ kin, Mr. Palanisamy said that the details of the family members concerned have already been collected, adding that a Government Order in this regard was expected shortly.
On Friday, search operation by fire-fighters and police carried out on the campus of Vetrivel Explosives at T. Murungapatti in the district to trace the bodies of victims killed in the massive explosion proved futile.
Teams of fire-fighters, police and officials carried out a thorough search on the premises of the unit situated on 160 acres, but could only find a lump of flesh. On Thursday, the body of a victim and a mutilated body of another was recovered.
