A Tamil Nadu village in shock after losing eight people in Attibele blaze

Vettappan (25), Aathikesavan (23), Vijayaraghavan (20), Ilambaruthi (19), Akash (23), Giri (22), Prakash (20), and Sachin (22) are the eight residents of the village who died on Saturday.

Wailing of women and men echoed in the hamlet of T Ammapettai in Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri district, where eight men perished in the firecracker godown in Attibele on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border.

About 25 young men, under aged 30, went to Bengaluru last week to work in the firecracker facilities for Diwali. Among them, 10 worked in the godown where the accident occurred on Saturday.

The eight men — Vettappan (25), Aathikesavan (23), Vijayaraghavan (20), Ilambaruthi (19), Akash (23), Giri (22), Prakash (20), and Sachin (22) — were friends and neighbours in the tiny hamlet overlooking Thenpennaiyar.

“These men usually go to cities like Bengaluru every year to work part-time during the festive season,” Arumugam, a villager, said. “Since they didn’t get any work in textile showrooms, they worked in the firecracker godowns last year. They again went this year, but it is extremely sad some of them will be returning as bodies.”

As news reached the village on Sunday that their bodies had been identified, villagers waited in shock and devastation to receive their remains.

Seven of the eight dead lived on the same street, Arumugam said. “All of them are either friends or neighbours. These people usually go and work in groups,” he added.

Wed just 20 days ago One of the deceased, Vettappan, married the love of his life Sonia just 20 days ago.

“They were in love for a couple of years and got married only in September,” the victim’s uncle, Saravanan, said. “His wife has been widowed now and Vettappan was the family’s only child. What will his family do now?”

Saravanan demanded that the government should provide Sonia a job since she is a graduate. Though television crews reached the village on Sunday morning, villagers did not interact with them as they still reeled in shock.

Rs 3 lakh compensation  

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian and Food Minister R Sakkarapani met the relatives of the victims in Bengaluru and handed over a cheque of Rs 3 lakh each.

The ministers along with officials from the Krishnagiri district administration assured all possible help from the Tamil Nadu government.