Virudhunagar/UNI: In the Virudhunagar district's Panaiyadipatti village, close to Sattur, a private fireworks factory caught fire on Friday, resulting in an explosion that claimed the life of a 36-year-old worker.

Police said, "The deceased was identified as Shanmugaraj of Kandiyapuram village."

The fire broke out in a shed, where the deceased was engaged in mixing highly inflammable chemicals meant for making a fancy variety of crackers.

Other workers managed to escape from the unit.

The shed was razed down due to the impact of the blast.

Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Department personnel rushed to the unit and retrieved the body from the debris.

The police have registered a case and are investigating.

Senior revenue and police officials visited the factory and held inquiries to ascertain if there were any violations of safety norms.