One person was killed and 25 others were injured following a suspected blast that ripped through a temporary firecracker storage unit at Choorakkadu set up in connection with the festival at Puthiyakavu Temple at Thripunithura in Ernakulam district of Kerala around 10.30 a.m. on February 12, 2024 (Monday).
The deceased has been identified as Vishnu, a native of Ulloor in Thiruvananthapuram. Vishnu, who was suspectedly part of the team of workers engaged in the storage and manufacturing of the firecrackers, succumbed to burns.
The District Medical Office said that 18 injured were admitted to various government hospitals. Seven injured were admitted to two private hospitals at Thripunithura. The condition of one person who was admitted to the Government Medical College, Ernakulam remained critical.
Nearly 30 nearby houses were severely damaged in the blast.
Authorities, including from the Fire and Rescue Services department, are yet to confirm the exact cause of the accident.
Nearby residents suspected that it may have sparked off from a tempo traveller that was carrying the raw materials for making firecrackers. The firecrackers were stored as part of the ‘thalapoli’ festival scheduled at the temple on Monday.
A car parked near the tempo traveller was gutted in the blast.
As per the initial response from the Fire and Rescue Services personnel who reached the site immediately after the incident, there were five workers at the firecracker storage unit at the time of the blast. Four fire tender units from Thripunithura, Thrikkakara and Gandhinagar fire stations were pressed into service.
The impact of the blast was experienced in nearly two-kilometre vicinity of the blast site as people rushed out of their houses after hearing the loud sound.
No permission: Collector
District Collector N.S.K. Umesh, who visited the site along with Hibi Eden, MP, said that the temple authorities had not taken any permission from the district administration for storage of firecrackers. A special team will investigate the lapses, he said.
Mr. Eden urged the government to provide temporary accommodation to the residents whose houses were severely damaged in the blast. The police urged them not to enter the damaged houses yet.
The temple authorities were unavailable for comment.
Special police team
Meanwhile, the Kochi City police are set to crack the whip on places of worship that conduct fireworks display illegally without securing prior permission from the agencies concerned.
“We have formed a team which has been assigned to draw up a list of forthcoming festivals under various police station limits considering that February and March are considered festival season. We will issue a warning to all committees that cases will be registered against them if they dare conduct fireworks displays illegally,” said S. Syamsundar, District Police Chief (Kochi City).
