LIVE | Kasargod fireworks accident: Temple flouted norms; SIT probe ordered

As many as 150 people were injured, eight of them seriously, in a fireworks accident during a temple festival near Neeleswaram in Kasargod late on Monday (October 28), police said. Three of the injured are reportedly on ventilator support.

At least 108 persons were seeking treatment in various hospitals in Kasargod, Kannur, and Kozhikode districts and in Mangalore in neighbouring Karnataka, police said. Two persons, part of the festival organising committee, have been taken into custody while eight temple committee members have been booked.

The accident, which happened around midnight, occurred at Veerarkavu Temple near Neeleswaram. The committee informed the police that fireworks, all China-made, worth ₹24,000 were purchased, and they have also submitted the bill.

While police said the exact cause of the blaze was yet to be ascertained, witnesses said sparks from firecrackers fell on the rest of the stocks stored nearby

Shocking visuals

Theyyam is a centuries-old ritualistic performance held at temples and “kavus” (sacred groves) in the Malabar (north Kerala) region. Hundreds of people were captivated by the ritual at the Veerarkavu Temple when a thundering explosion and a ball of fire shattered the serene atmosphere around midnight.

Shocking mobile phone footage, broadcast by television channels, revealed the severity of the accident and the distress of the helpless crowd gathered at the village temple near Neeleswaram.

In the footage, a large crowd could be seen gathered on one side of the temple, with a Theyyam artist, dressed in ritualistic red attire, performing amidst them.

A shocking burst was heard, and a ball of fire and billowing smoke appeared on the other side of the shrine, an eyewitness recalled.

People, including women and children, were seen scattering, running around, and urging others to move away.

Witnesses recount horror

Many of the survivors said they were yet to recover from the shock and said they still had no clarity on what happened at midnight.

“We were watching Theyyam... suddenly we heard a huge sound of explosion and fire at some distance. Luckily, we could move to a safer place,” a young man told TV channels on Tuesday.

Everything was over within seconds. Several people suffered injuries in the stampede after the tragedy, said another eyewitness.

Another man shockingly recounted the presence of a huge crowd near the shed where the crackers were stored.

“A large number of people were present near the shed. It was really difficult for them to run away to safety when the explosion happened,” he said.

A spark from a cracker burst might have fallen into the shed and ignited the heaps of crackers stored there, an elderly person said.

‘80 per cent burns’

The District Collector, on Tuesday, said that those who were seriously injured had 80 per cent burns. “The cause of the accident is being ascertained. Samples have been collected from the site. A case was lodged,” he said.

He further said that according to a preliminary probe, the fireworks storage facility and the place where the crackers were being burst were close by.

“The safety precautions were not taken. The requirement of maintaining a minimum distance of 100 metres between the two was not followed. No permission was taken either for storage of fireworks,” he added.

Fireworks storage facility caught fire

According to the police, it is suspected that the accident occurred when the fireworks storage facility near Veerarkavu Temple caught fire.

Nileswaram police have registered a case into the firework accident under the Explosive Substance Act and various sections of the BNS.

“A case was registered into the incident, and eight persons have been booked. All those booked are temple committee members,” a senior police officer told news agency PTI.

It is suspected that the firecrackers were burst without complying with safety norms and guidelines, he said.