KASARAGOD: Over 150 people were injured, 16 of them critically, in an explosion triggered by firecrackers during a Theyyam performance – a religious ritual – at Anjoottambalam Veerar Kavu temple in Kerala’s Kasaragod district in the early hours of Tuesday. Seven of the injured are on ventilator support. Three temple committee officials have been arrested for negligence.
The blast occurred as hundreds of people, including women and children, gathered to witness the Theyyam performance at the temple in Neeleswaram. Witnesses said that sparks from firecrackers fell onto a stack of stored fireworks nearby, triggering a massive explosion.
The shed where fireworks were kept sustained extensive damage, with its walls and roof shattered. Mobile phone footage broadcast by television channels showed people fleeing in panic after a thunderous explosion and a burst of fire erupted on the temple premises. Several people were injured in the ensuing stampede, according to an eyewitness.
A district administration official said 154 people sustained injuries in the blast, with 102 admitted to various hospitals in Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode districts in Kerala and Mangaluru in karnataka.
Neeleswaram police have booked eight people, including five temple committee members and three locals involved in setting off the firecrackers, under BNS sections 288 (negligence in handling explosives), 125(a) and 125(b) (rash and negligent act endangering human life) and 3(5) (common intention) and sections 3(a) and 6 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908. Temple committee chief Chandrasekharan, secretary Bharathan and committee member Rajesh who set off the firecrackers have been arrested.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused conducted the fireworks display without adhering to safety norms, with the fireworks being ignited close to the storage area, police said. Kasargod district police chief D Shilpa said that last year, firecrackers were ignited at a different location.
However, this year, they were set off closer to the shed, without adequate safety precautions. The mandated 100-metre distance was not maintained and no permission was obtained for storing firecrackers, she added.
The mishap occurred on the first day of the annual Theyyam festival, which has since been suspended. “We were watching Theyyam… suddenly, we heard a huge explosion and saw fire at a distance. Luckily, we were able to move to a safer place,” a young man recounted. “Everything was over within seconds,” another eyewitness added.
A young man who suffered minor injuries said those responsible for setting off the firecrackers ignored repeated warnings not to do so near the shed, where the fireworks were stored.
The district police chief has formed a special investigation team to investigate the accident. The additional divisional magistrate has been instructed to conduct an independent inquiry.
Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan blamed the temple committee members and police for the display of fireworks and accused them of not taking any mandatory checks on the fireworks.