Local police chief N. Shreenatha told AFP that “20 people are confirmed dead” after the incident at a licensed factory in Tamil Nadu state’s Virudhunagar district.
Rescuers were still operating at the site, he said, adding that the cause of the blaze was unknown. Industrial accidents are common in India, often due to poor adherence to safety regulations and weak enforcement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a social media post, extended his “condolences to those who have lost their loved ones” in the “deeply distressing” incident.
Read More: Fire in Malaysia’s Sabah destroys 1,000 homes, thousands displaced
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said the deaths were “tragic”, expressing his “immense sorrow” in a post on X.
விருதுநகர் மாவட்டம் கட்டனார்பட்டியில் ஏற்பட்ட பட்டாசு ஆலை வெடி விபத்தில் பலர் உயிரிழந்துள்ள துயரச் செய்தி மிகுந்த வேதனையளிக்கிறது. உயிரிழந்தோரின் குடும்பத்தினருக்கு எனது ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கல்கள்.
மீட்புப் பணிகளை விரைவுபடுத்திக் கண்காணிக்கவும், பாதிக்கப்பட்ட குடும்பங்களுக்கு ஆறுதல்…
— M.K.Stalin – தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) April 19, 2026
“I have requested the esteemed Ministers KKSSR Ramachandran and Thangam Thennarasu to rush to the scene immediately to expedite and monitor the rescue operations and to offer solace to the affected families,” he said.
Upon learning of this, I have contacted the District Collector and instructed them to coordinate all necessary assistance.
An explosion at a power plant in central India this week killed more than 20 people. Last month, another fire at a fireworks factory in western India killed 17 people.