Thiruvananthapuram: Over 150 people were injured, with 10 suffering serious injuries, in a fireworks accident at a temple in Kasaragod district, Kerala, late last night. Disturbing footage from the scene captured the moment a firework display triggered a massive fire, forcing panicked crowds to flee.
The incident took place at Anjootambalam Veererkavu during a festive celebration marking the start of the season in north Malabar. Eyewitnesses reported that the firework display was underway around midnight when a firecracker likely fell into a nearby shed storing more fireworks, resulting in an explosion.
Priyesh, who attended the festival with family, recounted the chaos: “It started with a loud blast, and then we saw a ball of fire. Panic ensued, and many couldn’t move freely due to the crowd. We immediately began rushing the injured to nearby hospitals.”
Sreerag, a temple associate who traveled from Bengaluru for the festival, was managing the crowd when the explosion occurred. He noted that the crowd was larger than usual for the second day of festivities.
Local residents informed that the shed containing Chinese crackers was located too close to the firing site. Panchayat representatives criticized the lack of safety measures. “While this is typically a small event, there should have been more caution regarding the distance between the shed and the fireworks,” said local ward member E Shajeer.
Kasaragod collector Inbasekar K emphasized that firecrackers should be stored at least 100 meters away from firing sites; however, in this case, the distance was only a few feet.
The temple committee’s president and secretary are currently in police custody. Authorities stated that approximately Rs 28,000 worth of low-intensity firecrackers were stored in a temporary shed covered with tin, leading to the explosion and subsequent tragedy.
