Sivakasi fire accident: Sonia Gandhi expresses grief

New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday expressed grief over the death of 33 people in the blaze that raged through a  fire-cracker factory in Mudalipetti, near Sivakasi, in Tamil Nadu.

Conveying her heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, Mrs Gandhi said "my prayers are with the injured people and I wish them speedy recovery."

The fire has now been extinguished completely and the police say they don't expect any more people to be trapped in debris.  

Over 300 people were believed to have been inside the factory, Om Siva Sakthi Crackers, when the fire broke out at about 12:30 pm. Most of the workers reportedly managed to escape the building and many of those killed were people standing outside the factory.

Those seriously injured have been taken to the government hospitals in Madurai and Virudhnagar. The others are in a government hospital in Sivakasi.

(With PTI inputs)

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