Kollam: One person was killed and five others were seriously injured in a major fire at a fire cracker unit at Pattazhy near Pathanapuram on Sunday evening.
The deceased was identified as Paramasivam, 32, of Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu, a labourer in the unit.
The seriously injured are Shylaja, 52, wife of Ajaya Kumar, owner of the unit, and workers from Tamil Nadu, Vinnarasu, 30, Mani Raj, 23, Ponnuchami, 47, and Periya Swami, 40.
The injured were shifted to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital after first aid at the Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital.
Ajaya Kumar of Kallada had obtained a licence in the name of Swathy, his daughter, as the authorities had reportedly banned issuing licence in his name following a mishap in the same unit in 2011.
Ajaya Kumar and Swathy were at home, about 300 metres from the cracker unit, when the fire broke out. But his wife was caught in the flames which gutted the entire unit.
An eyewitness said the fire was followed by huge explosions. The building with sheet roof was engulfed in flames forcing the people to keep off.
The fire was finally put out by fire fighters who reached the spot from various parts of the district.
According to Kunnicode police, at least two people were killed in a cracker unit fire in the neighbouring village last year.
