KOCHI: Two persons, who were on Covid19 quarantine, were killed in a blast at a building adjacent to a quarrying unit in Malayattoor in Ernakulam early on Monday.
The deceased -- both migrant workers -- have been identified are Periyannan Lakshmanan, a native of Salem, Tamil Nadu and D Naga, Chamaraja Nagar, Karnataka.
According to police, a spark from the nearby electric pole during the heavy rain in the wee hours of Monday was the main reason for the blast.
"Both workers were in quarantine. They were sleeping close to the room filled with explosives. Though we suspect the electric spark as the trigger to the sudden blast, a probe has been launched into the incident," said a police official.
Alleging terror links into the incident, Kochi-based social activist C R Neelakandan demanded an investigation by National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the blast.
"As it shows the clear violation of quarry rules issued by the state government by storing huge amounts of explosives, there should be a thorough investigation by the NIA into the blast. With two lives lost in the blast, a terrorist angle should also be probed," he said.
According to him, the land owned by the forest department was given for agriculture farms and later the surplus land was returned to the department.
"It was illegally converted into a quarry with the help of a few politicians," Neelakandan said.