S. Rathinam (39) had escaped death by a whisker that afternoon

On February 13, 2021

she, along with hundreds of others, had to run for their lives when a blast rocked the fireworks unit where they worked in Achankulam village, near Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district of southern Tamil Nadu

Up to 26 people, mostly women, were killed and several injured in the explosion

"Everything happened in a flash," recalled Rathinam

But as a worker in a fireworks unit in the Sivakasi region, this is not the first time she has seen death at such close quarters. It may not even be the last

With the state readying for Assembly elections on April 6,

the incident features regularly in campaign speeches. However, no one, not even politicians, acknowledge a salient feature of these tragedies—the worst-affected are poorly-paid women workers like Rathinam...