Kerala: More than 150 people were injured in a fireworks accident in Kerala during a temple festival in Neeleswaram of Kasaragod late at night on Monday. The accident has reportedly left eight people in critical condition. A case has been registered against 8 temple committee members under non-bailable sections for conducting fireworks and violating guidelines.
The injured have been rushed to hospitals in Kannur, Kasaragod, and Mangaluru for further treatment. It was suspected that the sparks from lit torches ignited the stored firecrackers, resulting in an explosion that blew off the tin sheet roof. According to reports, numerous devotees gathered at the temple for the event, marking the beginning of the Theyyam season.
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Watch: A fire accident during the “Kulichu Thottam” ritual for the Moovalamkuzhi Chamundi Theyyam in Kerala’s Kasaragod district left over 150 people injured, with eight seriously hurt. Sparks from lit torches likely ignited stored firecrackers, causing a significant explosion… pic.twitter.com/EygtlSyd6i
---Advertisement---— IANS (@ians_india) October 29, 2024
Senior district administration officers, including the collector and the district police chief, have reached the accident spot. Officials are investigating the cause of the fire while local communities rally to support the victims and their families.
A police official said, “Safety precautions were not taken, a minimum distance of 100 meters between two people was not followed. Even permission was not taken for storing fireworks,” reports added.
Reacting to the accident, Former Union Minister K J Alphonse said, “Yesterday there was a massive storage of crackers in a location, and with a lot of people around, the firecrackers were being burst just 50 yards from there. The police were not informed about the storage of the firecrackers. So there is a massive failure of the police. 150 people have been injured and I’m told about 15 people are serious. How come this kind of thing happens repeatedly in Kerala? This is a massive failure of the state government, a massive failure of the police, massive failure of the temple organizers of this festival. Serious action must be taken to ensure this doesn’t happen.”
#WATCH | Delhi: On Kasaragod fireworks incident, former Union Minister K J Alphonse says, "In the district, there is a very famous festival called Kaliyattam Festival and this is held in the entire district in all the temples of Kasaragod. One of the big things in these festivals… pic.twitter.com/npbkCT9xQd
— ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2024
A preliminary probe revealed that the fireworks storage facility was located close to the place where the crackers were being burst.
Local sources said only low-intensity firecrackers were available at the temple, probably accounting for the lower intensity of the explosion. Temple authorities are reportedly in police custody. Notably, the incident occurred at a time when the Kerala government is pressing the Centre to relax new regulations it has brought regarding fireworks.
