Kerala fire: The accident took place during the popular ‘Theyyam’ ritual at Anjootambalam Veererkavu Temple in Kasargod district when fireworks sparked a blaze.
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Kerala temple fire: The Kerala Police has arrested two persons after authorities blamed the cause of a massive fireworks accident, which left 154 people injured, during the Anjootambalam Veererkavu Temple festival in Nileshwaram on early Tuesday morning, to negligence by temple officials. Police took the two officials into custody for questioning in connection with the accident, news agency IANS reported.
Kerala temple fire: People gather after firecrackers explosion at the Anjootambalam Veererkavu temple in Kasaragod district of Kerala on October 29, 2024.The Kerala fire accident took place during the popular ‘Theyyam’ ritual when fireworks sparked a blaze that spread quickly, injuring several devotees, including families who had gathered for the festival.
Kasargod district superintendent of police (SP) D. Shilpa said the temple officials had failed to adhere to safety protocols and had not obtained necessary permissions for the fireworks display. District collector K Inbasekar confirmed a probe is underway to identify the extent of procedural lapses, the news agency added.
Eyewitnesses described how the accident unfolded, recounting that sparks from a firework fell into a room where additional fireworks, valued at around ₹25,000, were stored for the festival’s grand finale. A girl injured in the blast recalled the sudden chaos after sparks ignited the stored fireworks, resulting in a powerful explosion.
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Forensic teams have collected samples from the site to aid in the investigation, and local authorities have pledged a comprehensive review to prevent future incidents.
Local CPI(M) MLA M Rajagopal termed the incident “very unfortunate” and spoke to the district collector, IANS added.
“The firecrackers were of low intensity and it (incident) happened when the sparks of the firecrackers fell into the place where more were stored,” he said.
Kasargod MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the incident took place after midnight when firecrackers were being burst to celebrate the festival and there was a serious lapse on the part of the officials who failed to ensure the adherence to safety protocols.
The district collector said those who were seriously injured had 80 per cent burns.
“The cause of the accident is being ascertained. Samples have been collected from the site. A case was lodged,” he said.
He further said according to a preliminary probe, the fireworks storage facility and the place where the crackers were being burst were close by, news agency PTI reported.
“The safety precautions were not taken. The requirement of maintaining a minimum distance of 100 meters between the two was not followed. No permission was taken either for storage of fireworks,” he added.
According to the police, it is suspected that the accident occurred when the fireworks storage facility near Veerarkavu Temple caught fire.
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