Chennai, Aug 14 (IANS): Two workers were killed in an explosion at a fireworks factory in Srivilliputhur block of Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

The blast led to a fire engulfing the factory and resulting in the death of the two workers, who were later identified as Puli Kutty and Karthik.

Virudhunagae district administration officials told IANS that firefighters from Sivakasi and Srivilliputhur rushed to the spot after receiving the information about the incident.

Sivakasi in Virudhunagar is the fireworks capital of the country with maximum fireworks being made from this area.

The annual turnover of the Sivakasi fireworks industry is around Rs 6,000 crore with around 8 lakh people being employed in these factories. Sivakasi and surrounding areas in Virudhunagar district account for almost 70 per cent of the fireworks production of the country.

There are 1,070 registered fireworks factories in Virudhunagar district.

In a similar accident last month, two labourers were charred to death while two others sustained severe burn injuries in an explosion at a cracker manufacturing unit near Sivakasi.

The incident took place on July 9, after which Chief Minister M.K. Stalin expressed his condolences and announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh each to the injured.

In May, eight people, including two women, were killed in a blast at a fireworks factory in Sivakasi. Several others were also injured in the explosion.

Similarly, an explosion at a Virudhunagar-based firecracker manufacturing unit in February claimed the lives of at least 10, including five women, and left several others injured. The tragedy struck the factory located in Ramuthevanpatti near Sattur.

In January as well, two people were killed and some others injured in an explosion at a firecracker unit in Virudhunagar.