Thrissur (Kerala): At least 13 people were killed and several others injured in a blast at a fireworks manufacturing unit at Mundathicode in central Kerala’s Thrissur district Tuesday, officials said.
Thirteen injured persons, three of them women, are undergoing treatment.
Five of them are in critical condition with over 70 per cent burn injuries, authorities at Government Medical College, Thrissur, said.
Around 40 people were suspected to have been present in the sheds at the time of the explosion, which occurred at a fireworks unit preparing crackers on behalf of a temple devaswom ahead of the upcoming Thrissur Pooram April 26.
Hospital authorities said 13 bodies were received, including dismembered remains, which are being counted as individual fatalities.
A control room was also opened at the state-run medical college.
Television visuals showed residents assisting in rescue efforts, shifting the injured and recovering remains from the blast site.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed that all necessary medical assistance be provided and asked officials to ensure coordinated rescue and relief operations.
He also instructed that, if required, expert doctors from outside the state be brought in to treat those with severe burn injuries, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office.
All departments, including police, fire and rescue services, health, revenue, and disaster management, have been mobilised, and a special mechanism has been set up to monitor the situation, it said.
State Health Minister Veena George directed officials to ensure specialised treatment for the injured and to make necessary arrangements at Government Medical College, Thrissur, and Thrissur General Hospital.
Nearby hospitals have also been put on alert.
According to residents, the explosion occurred at around 3.30 pm, and intermittent blasts continued in the area, hampering rescue efforts. Firecrackers were being manufactured in multiple temporary sheds located in an isolated area amid paddy fields.
A government official who reached the spot said food had reportedly been arranged for around 40 workers, indicating that at least that many people may have been present when the accident occurred. Some workers escaped with minor injuries.
Fire and rescue personnel, along with police, led the rescue operations, though continuing explosions posed serious challenges.
Wadakanchery Municipal Chairman P N Surendran, who visited the site, said blasts were still occurring, preventing people from approaching the area.
“There is still no clarity on how many workers were present or how many were injured. Extreme heat is suspected to be one of the reasons for the mishap,” he told reporters.
He added that the sound of the explosion was heard several kilometres away and that houses in nearby areas suffered damage.
Eyewitnesses said multiple sheds spread across several acres were present at the site, of which at least five were destroyed in the fire.
Most of those affected were reported to be residents of Mundathikkode and the nearby Kundannur areas.
Wilson, one of the surviving workers, recalled the terrifying moment.
“There was a sudden flash beside me and then fire. After that, I don’t remember anything,” he said. He maintained that all workers at the unit were Malayalees and that no migrant labourers were employed.
The Thrissur district collector has ordered a magisterial-level inquiry into the incident, assigning the sub-collector to conduct a detailed probe into the cause of the blast and its aftermath, according to a statement.
The state government has sanctioned Rs 50 lakh for rescue and related operations.
The rescue mission and efforts to locate and defuse live crackers are continuing, sources said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the blast and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and his sister, Congress MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, also expressed grief over the loss of lives.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a statement, expressed condolences over the deaths, while his party colleague and CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan termed the incident “extremely shocking.”
Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi, in a Facebook post, expressed shock and sadness over the incident, saying it was inconceivable that such a tragedy had befallen ordinary people working for a living.
BJP Kerala chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan also expressed grief over the incident.
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