The fire broke out near Veerarkavu Temple in Kerala’s Kasaragod leaving more than 150 people injured. Eight were seriously injured, in this fireworks accident during a temple festival near Neeleswaram in Kerala’s Kasaragod late on Monday The injured have been taken to hospitals in Kasargod, Kannur, and Mangaluru.
The injured have been taken to various hospitals in Kasargod, Kannur, and Mangaluru. It is suspected that the accident took place when a fireworks storage facility near Veerarkavu Temple caught fire. The accident occurred around midnight, the report added.
Ninety-seven people have been hospitalised, with eight in critical condition and suffering from 80% burns. Kasaragod Collector Inbasekar K said that patients were admitted across several hospitals: 18 at AJ Hospital in Mangaluru; 18 at MIMS Hospital in Kannur; 17 at Aishal Hospital in Kanhangad; 16 at Kanhangad District Hospital; 10 at Sanjeevini Hospital, Kanhangad; five at Kannur Medical College Hospital, Pariyaram; five at Manzoor Hospital, Kanhangad; three at Arimala Hospital, Kanhangad; two at MIMS in Kozhikode; two at KH Hospital, Cheruvathur; and one at Deepa Hospital, Kanhangad.
Early investigations revealed that the firecracker detonation area was only a few feet away from the storage room, despite regulations mandating a minimum separation of 100 meters. Officials suspect this violation could have contributed to the severity of the accident, the report added. The incident occurred during “Kulichu Thottam,” a preparatory ritual for the Moovalamkuzhi Chamundi Theyyam, an annual event marking the Theyyam season in North Malabar.
The ritual involved the use of torches made from dried coconut leaves, which likely sparked the explosion by igniting firecrackers stored nearby. Although temple committee members stated that only low-intensity firecrackers were used, the blast was powerful enough to blow away the tin roof of the storage area.
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