KOCHI: Two persons were killed and 22 others injured — four of them critically — in a massive explosion at an illegal firecracker storage facility located in a densely populated area at Choorakkad near Tripunithura on Monday. The blast occurred while boxes containing firecrackers — brought for the festival at Puthiyakavu Devi temple which is just 3 km away — were being unloaded from a vehicle.
A building adjacent to the blast spot was destroyed while around 180 houses in the vicinity were partially damaged. The impact of the blast was felt up to 3km.
Several vehicles, electronic items and furniture in nearby houses, as well as roofs of several buildings, were damaged under the impact. Window panes of houses located even 800m away from the accident spot were shattered in the explosion that shook the area. Several people in the locality felt uneasy and a few elderly people experienced hearing issues after the blast. The vehicle that transported the firecrackers from Palakkad and a car that was parked near the storage unit were gutted in the blast.
The deceased are Vishnu, 27, a resident of Ullur in Thiruvananthapuram, and Divakaran, 55. Vishnu was the driver of the pickup van that brought the firecrackers. The injured persons include the workers who were unloading the crackers and the residents nearby. They are under treatment at various hospitals.
Meanwhile, the Hill Palace Police arrested four persons, including two functionaries of Puthiyakavu temple devaswom which organises the temple festival, in connection with the explosion. The firecrackers were stored at the site without the required permission. “The permission of the district collector is required for storing firecrackers. They had no such permission,” Ernakulam District Collector N S K Umesh told reporters after visiting the accident site.
Four arrested
Four persons — two functionaries of the Puthiyakavu Devi Temple Devaswom and two workers employed by fireworks contractor—arrested
The firecrackers were stored at the site without permission from the authorities
Police said the exact reason for the explosion is yet to be ascertained
Kochi blast: Police yet to confirm cause
The collector said an investigation has been ordered into the incident. Meanwhile, the police said the exact reason for the explosion is yet to be ascertained.
According to residents, the blast occurred around 10.15am when the workers were unloading firecrackers. “The blast happened when I went to take a glass of water from the kitchen. Suddenly, I heard a loud noise. It felt like the building was about to collapse. The window panes and showcases were shattered. I thought the loud noise was from the temple, as the festival was going on. It took some time for me to understand that the accident happened near my house,” said N R Das, who escaped unhurt.
Some residents said the tremors of the explosion were felt several kilometres away. “I run a hotel nearly a km away from the accident spot. Yet, the glasses in front of my hotel were shattered. I thought it was an earthquake,” said Shaan.
Dr Suma, medical superintendent of the Tripunithura Taluk Hospital, said Vishnu’s condition was grave when he was brought to the hospital. “There weren’t many burn injuries on his body. But he suffered from internal bleeding, which caused his death. The medical team at the hospital tried its best to save his life,” said Dr Suma.
The district collector said compensation will be provided to the victims of the blast. “None will be allowed to stay in the houses which have suffered extensive damage. Steps have been taken to rehabilitate the residents,” the collector said.
A police officer said the high temperature might have been a reason for the blast.