KOCHI: One person was killed, while seven others, including three children, were injured in a series of explosions at a firecracker manufacturing unit at Muttinakam in Varapuzha on the outskirts of Kochi on Tuesday evening.
The building housing the unit crumbled to the ground in the explosions, the tremors of which were felt as far as 2km away, while the ones nearby suffered major damage. District Collector Renu Raj, who reached the spot later, ordered a probe.
Davis Eerayil of Muttinakam is suspected to be the deceased. He was the uncle of Janson, 38, who owns the fireworks manufacturing unit named Erayil Fireworks. The injured persons are Janson, his neighbour Fredeena, 30, her children Isabel, 8, Esther, 7, and Elsa, 5, another neighbour K J Mathai, 69, and his son Neeraj, 30. They were rushed to Aster Medcity. The doctors said the condition of Janson, who suffered 40% burns, and Fredeena, who suffered injuries on her scalp, is serious. Of the others, Neeraj was discharged later, while the children and Mathai are being treated for minor injuries.
Sebastine, a carpenter who lives just 5m away from the unit, said the explosions started around 5.20pm and lasted over 10 minutes. Fire tenders from Gandhi Nagar, North Paravoor, Club Road and Kalamassery were pressed into service.
‘There were two loud explosions’
Firefighters continued to comb the area using earthmovers late in the night to check for any explosives. Sebastine said he had returned from work and was resting in his house when he heard a worker of the unit running and asking everyone to escape.
“I ran out of the house. After three or four minor explosions, there were two ear-shattering blasts that shook the entire locality. Windowpanes of almost every house in the vicinity cracked,” said Sebastine, who was shell-shocked.
“A beam from the house flew off the house and hit Fredeena’s home,” said Seethu, another neighbour.
Following the explosions, residents gathered at the place and found a half-charred body suspected to be that of Davis. The rented house where the explosives were stored was reduced to dust, as was the shed where the explosives were manufactured.
Another neighbour said the unit was a family business started by Janson’s father Anson. “It has been operating here for decades. Janson has two younger brothers, one of whom supports him in the business,” said the neighbour.
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‘Unit was illegal’
Additional District Magistrate Shajahan S said the unit was illegal as the owner only had a licence to sell Chinese crackers at a retail shop. “We did not give licence to anybody in that locality to manufacture and store explosives used for making firecrackers,” he said.