As many as nine people have died and around 30 others have been injured after a fire broke out at a firecracker factory in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar district on Friday, 12 February.

About 100 people are believed to have been working in the factory. The police have said the incident was an accident.

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.

The factory is located in Vembakottai. Fire service personnel are present at the spot and are trying to douse the fire, though it has still not been brought under control.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a tweet expressed grief and said authorities are working to assist those affected by the fire. An ex-gratia of Rs 2-lakh each has been approved from the PMNRF for the victims and Rs 50,000 each for those seriously injured, the PMO said in another tweet.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his condolences after the incident. "It’s heart-wrenching to think of those still trapped inside. I appeal to the state government to provide immediate rescue, support & relief," he tweeted.

According to media reports, several fire tenders are present at the spot to douse the blaze. The identities of the deceased have not yet been revealed. 

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