KOCHI: Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair, heading the judicial probe into the Mundathicode fireworks unit blast, on Wednesday said the inquiry would require at least six months, citing the need for a detailed and comprehensive examination.
As part of the initial steps, he will hold discussions with the district collector and the police commissioner.
Underscoring the complexity of the investigation, Justice Nair said the findings would have long-term implications for devaswoms, temple committees, and religious institutions, all of whom would be heard in detail.
Pointing to the challenges, he noted that 16 people died in the incident and only a limited number of individuals had direct knowledge of what transpired. “Even the person who conducted the fireworks display is among the deceased. These are serious limitations,” he said.
The probe will examine whether the blast originated within the fireworks storage area or was triggered by external factors. It will also look into whether the incident occurred during the process of tightly packing and hammering fireworks to enhance their sound and explosive impact.
While the police are already investigating the cause, the judicial inquiry will independently examine all aspects of the incident.
Justice Nair observed that reducing the use of explosive materials could significantly limit the scale of such accidents. Referring to the findings of the Puttingal fireworks tragedy commission, he noted that it remains unclear whether the government intends to impose stricter curbs or a ban on fireworks.
“Fireworks are used across the world, but the emphasis elsewhere is on colours and visual display. Here, the focus is largely on sound, which requires higher explosive content,” he said, highlighting a key safety concern.