At least 11 workers of a private fireworks factory near Sattur in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar district were killed in an explosion at the unit on Friday. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each has been approved from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives in the fire.
Meanwhile, Rs 50,000 would be provided to those seriously injured, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.
According to cuurent reports, 36 people have been injured in the blast. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakhs each to the kin of deceased and Rs 1 Lakh for the critically injured.
The incident happened while some chemicals were being mixed to produce fireworks, police said.
Ten fire fighting units from various locations have been rushed to the spot to douse the fire in the factory at Acchankulam village.
Initial reports quoting fire service personnel said about 10 people were injured in the explosion.
(With inputs from agencies)