Kerala: An explosion of firecrackers during a festival at Anjootambalam Veerarkavu Temple in Neeleswaram, Kasargod, Kerala left more than 150 persons injured. Eight of the injured are critical. The disaster occurred about midnight on 29 October while the Theyyam festival was underway in the temple. It is one of the most widely attended rituals in Kerala annually. The disaster started when an accidental fire from a fireworks display ignited a nearby storage shed containing more fireworks. The explosion produced what witnesses described as a “ball of fire,” which spread rapidly across the festival grounds.
Eyewitnesses Recall Moments of Chaos
Survivors describe the ghastly scenes that followed the explosion. Priyesh, who had attended the festival with his friends, described how he escaped narrowly since he was close to the storage shed a few minutes before it exploded. Sreerag, a local of Bengaluru who had come here to witness the festival, was in charge of handling the crowd when he witnessed the flames and chaos which followed. “It was like a storm,” another eyewitness shared while explaining how the festival-goers were rushing towards safety amid smoke and flames.
Rapid Emergency Response and Medical Care
The injured were evacuated to nearby hospitals in Kasargod, Kannur, and Mangaluru. Medical teams were mobilized to provide immediate care and more resources were sent for the sheer number of injuries. More than 150 people were burned and otherwise injured, and eight people remained in critical condition, according to the latest reports.
Investigations and Detention
Following this, the local police arrested the temple president and secretary, who were also officials of this temple. They are already being investigated for negligence regarding this incident. It has also come out that possibly the temple did not have all the permissions necessary to stage the firework show, which has brought forth a possible lacuna in safety event protocols. The administration is now probing whether it was capable of providing appropriate safeguards during the festival due to the explosion that brought forth public demands for stiffer guidelines over the use of firecrackers in public celebrations.
Government Response and Future Safety Measures
The Kerala government announced a new crackdown on the use of firecrackers, with an emphasis on stricter safety regulations for future festivals. The officials are planning to limit fireworks to only approved “green crackers” to prevent similar tragedies and reduce environmental impact. The state mourns this devastating incident, and calls for better festival safety measures ring throUgh the region.
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