New Delhi: More than 150 people were injured in a fireworks explosion at the Anjootambalam Veerakavu temple in Kerala’s Kasaragod district on Monday night. Of these, nine are said to be grievously injured.
Thousands of people had gathered at the temple to celebrate kaliyattam or theyyam – a popular annual ritual in the temples of North Kerala – where bursting crackers is a traditional practice.
According to the police, the explosion took place after sparks from fireworks fell inside the shed the crackers were stored in. The police said that the shed, also known as the magazine, was less than 100 metres away from the fire-line or where the fireworks are displayed. This caused a series of explosions, causing panic among the attendees and created a stampede-like situation.
The injured are receiving treatment at various hospitals in Kasaragod while the more seriously injured have been admitted to the government medical college in Kannur. Some were also taken to hospitals in Mangalore.
District collector K. Inbasekar told reporters that the temple authorities had not requested any permission to light fireworks and the police have taken the office bearers into custody, the Indian Express reported.
A case has also been registered against the temple committee’s office bearers.
Suresh Babu, a theyyam artiste who was present at the spot, said, “I have been staging theyyam at the temple for the last 40 years but this is a first. Our performance was going on when the magazine turned into a fireball. Several persons got injured in the stampede-like situation after the incident. When a series of palm leaf crackers were bursted, sparks fell accidently on the nearby magazine, leading to the massive explosion.”
According to the temple authorities, the explosion’s impact was reduced as the magazine was mainly storing low-intensity Chinese crackers.
