Two days after 19 workers were killed in a major blast in an explosives manufacturing unit in the district, its licence was today cancelled by the Centre while the Crime Branch CID took over the probe into the accident from the local police.
Officials said the Principal Controller of Explosives Ashok Kumar ordered cancellation of the licence of the factory at Murugapatti, about 50 km from here, in view of the December 1 mishap that killed 19 workers and left several others injured.
The cancellation of the licence comes amid reports that there were 'lapses' in safety aspects and sticking to the norms governing stocking and handling of the explosives.
CB-CID Superintendent of Police Rajendran and his team took over the investigation and grilled top officials of the factory, police said.
The team received documents, including the FIR filed by the local police, and interrogated factory Director Prakasam and Managers -- Rajagopal, Rajamanikandan, Ganesh and Venkatapathy.
The factory's other senior officials, including Executive Officer Prakash, had already been brought under the investigation ring, CB-CID officials said.
People in the locality, who have expressed safety concerns over the explosives unit, welcomed the decision of the central government to cancel the licence.
There were 15 mini-units in the factory which had been functioning for the past more than 25 years manufacturing explosives for deepening and widening wells in rocky belts.
The owner of the factory Vijay Kannan was running explosives factories here and elsewhere in Tamil Nadu besides being in hotel and other businesses, they said.
The CB-CID team also visited the injured persons at the hospital in Turaiyur here.
Cases had been registered under the Explosives Act for causing accident and death against the owner, Safety Manager among others.
Village Administrative Officers had been asked to visit all surrounding villages to gather information regarding workers who were employed in the factory to arrive at the final toll.
Since the bodies were badly mutilated, identifying the dead had been posing a problem.
The toll was "roughly estimated" at 19 from the missing list given by relatives of workers.
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