KOCHI: One person died, and another 16 were injured, four of them critically, following a blast at a building where crackers were stored at Puthiyakavu, Tripunithura in Kochi on Monday morning.
The deceased has been identified as a native of Ullur, while the four critically injured were rushed to the taluk hospital and later referred to the Ernakulam General Hospital. Three others were admitted to the Kalamassery Medical College, and another three to the Tripunithura taluk hospital.
Around 25 buildings nearby were damaged in the huge explosion that shook the area. The impact was felt around a 2 km radius. A car parked in the area was fully destroyed in the fire.
The blast happened when the cartons of firecrackers were unloaded, according to reports.
The crackers were stored without proper permission from the authorities. "For storing crackers, permission of the district collector is required. They had no such permission," Ernakulam District Collector N S K Umesh told a TV channel.