Top News

Thrissur, April 21. A tragic incident took place in Kerala’s Thrissur district on Tuesday afternoon when a massive explosion occurred at a firecracker factory in Mundathicode area, killing at least 13 workers and injuring several others. The condition of five of the injured is said to be serious.

According to the information received, about 40 people were present in the shed where the explosion took place at around 3.30 pm. Many of these people have been badly burnt and the condition of some is critical. The accident occurred when firecrackers were being made in preparation for the upcoming famous festival Thrissur Pooram.

There was chaos in the area after the incident. Local people immediately arrived to help and took the injured out to the hospital. According to Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, 13 deaths have been confirmed so far. Five bodies were found whole, while body parts of three people were recovered from the debris. The condition of five is critical.

According to local people, the first explosion occurred at around 3.30 pm and even after that small explosions continued to occur intermittently, causing difficulty in rescue operations. It is being told that this unit was running in a temporary shed built between the fields. The sound of the explosion was heard several kilometers away and nearby houses were also damaged.

The reasons for the accident are not yet clearly known, but initial guess is that extreme heat could be one of the reasons. Fire brigade, police and relief teams are continuously working on the spot, but the situation remains quite challenging due to continuous explosions. The district administration has ordered an investigation into the matter. The Collector has set up a magisterial inquiry to find out how such gross negligence happened.

PM Modi expressed grief over the accident

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the accident. X post issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) read, ‘It is very sad to know that many people lost their lives in an accident at a firecracker manufacturing factory in Thrissur. I share the grief of those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured people recover as soon as possible.

Ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased from PM Relief Fund.

PMO wrote in another post, ‘The Prime Minister has announced that from PMNRF, an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh will be given to the family of every person who lost his life in the accident. Rs 50,000 will be given to the injured.

CM Vijayan and Health Minister Veena gave instructions

On the other hand, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan immediately instructed the officials to provide all necessary treatment to the injured. He also said that if needed, help of specialist doctors from other states should be taken. State Health Minister Veena George has also put hospitals on alert and asked to make arrangements for special treatment. Also, instructions have been given to deploy additional ambulances including 108 ambulances.