In a shocking incident, three persons died and over a dozen were injured when a minivan carrying fireworks exploded in Vizhupuram district on Monday. The minivan, transporting fireworks from Puducherry to Thiruvannamalai district, came to a stop after driver Elavarasan and cleaner Saibaba reportedly noticed smoke rising out of the vehicle. The minivan exploded even as the duo attempted to put the fire out.

According to one report in the Times of India, Elavarasan brought the vehicle to a stop next to a tea shop in Nagilikondan village and even cautioned the local bystanders to move away. Even as he and Saibaba attempted to pour pots of water on the minivan, it was burnt to ashes in a loud explosion.

As per a report in The Hindu, the bodies were burnt beyond recognition. The incident, which took place around 7: 30 am, also saw the fire reportedly spreading to the tea shop, a nearby saloon and six other buildings in the locality. Even as the fire department arrived on the scene, four of the building were reportedly damaged by the time. The newspaper reports that some of the locals sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the Gingee General Hospital, including: Senthil Velavan, 45, Suresh, 45, Baasha, 38, his wife Ayesha, 45, Ranga, 60, Vinayagam, 40, Lavanya, 15, Mariammal, 18, Sivasankar, 40 and Kalpana, 25.

One police officer investigating the incident told the Hindustan Times, “When the van’s radiator emitted smoke, the driver stopped the van at Nangilikondan Village to pour water into the radiator. People who were standing near the road had noticed that smoke was coming inside from the vehicle. The explosion took place when the driver and cleaner tried to find out the cause of the smoke.”

Veerasamy, the owner of the unit that supplied the fireworks, has reportedly been booked under various sections of the Explosives Act.