KASARAGOD: Over 150 individuals had been injured, 16 of them critically, in an explosion triggered by firecrackers throughout a Theyyam efficiency – a non secular ritual – at Anjoottambalam Veerar Kavu temple in Kerala’s Kasaragod district within the early hours of Tuesday. Seven of the injured are on ventilator help. Three temple committee officers have been arrested for negligence.
The blast occurred as a whole bunch of individuals, together with ladies and kids, gathered to witness the Theyyam efficiency on the temple in Neeleswaram. Witnesses mentioned that sparks from firecrackers fell onto a stack of saved fireworks close by, triggering a large explosion.
The shed the place fireworks had been stored sustained intensive injury, with its partitions and roof shattered. Cell phone footage broadcast by tv channels confirmed individuals fleeing in panic after a thunderous explosion and a burst of fireside erupted on the temple premises. A number of individuals had been injured within the ensuing stampede, in response to an eyewitness.
A district administration official mentioned 154 individuals sustained accidents within the blast, with 102 admitted to varied hospitals in Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode districts in Kerala and Mangaluru in karnataka.
Neeleswaram police have booked eight individuals, together with 5 temple committee members and three locals concerned in setting off the firecrackers, below BNS sections 288 (negligence in dealing with explosives), 125(a) and 125(b) (rash and negligent act endangering human life) and three(5) (widespread 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 performed the fireworks show with out adhering to security norms, with the fireworks being ignited near the storage space, police mentioned. Kasargod district police chief D Shilpa mentioned that final yr, firecrackers had been ignited at a unique location.
Nevertheless, this yr, they had been set off nearer to the shed, with out enough security precautions. The mandated 100-metre distance was not maintained and no permission was obtained for storing firecrackers, she added.
The mishap occurred on the primary day of the annual Theyyam competition, which has since been suspended. “We had been watching Theyyam… instantly, we heard an enormous explosion and noticed fireplace at a distance. Fortunately, we had been capable of transfer to a safer place,” a younger man recounted. “All the pieces was over inside seconds,” one other eyewitness added.
A younger man who suffered minor accidents mentioned these answerable for setting off the firecrackers ignored repeated warnings not to take action close to the shed, the place the fireworks had been saved.
The district police chief has fashioned a particular investigation group to analyze the accident. The extra divisional Justice of the Peace has been instructed to conduct an impartial inquiry.
Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan blamed the temple committee members and police for the show of fireworks and accused them of not taking any obligatory checks on the fireworks.
