Thiruvananthapuram: During a festival at Anjootambalam Veerakavu temple near Neeleswaram in Kasaragod district, at least 154 individuals were injured, nine critically, due to fireworks exploding on the night between Monday and Tuesday.
The police stated that the incident occurred during the annual kaliyattam ritual, also known as theyyam, which attracted thousands of attendees. The explosion was triggered when sparks landed inside the shed storing the firecrackers, also referred to as a magazine, situated less than 100 meters from the fire line where the fireworks are displayed. The sparks ignited the magazine while the fireworks display was underway, leading to multiple explosions.
The event caused panic among the spectators, resulting in numerous burn injuries.
District collector K Inbasekar reported to the media that the temple authorities had not obtained permission for the fireworks display, and the police had detained the temple committee’s office bearers. The severely injured have been hospitalized at the government medical college in Kannur, while others are receiving treatment at different hospitals in Kasaragod, and some have been taken to hospitals in Mangaluru.
Legal action has been initiated against the members of the temple committee.
Quoting temple authorities, police said the shed had mainly stock of low-intensity Chinese crackers, which reduced the impact of the explosion.
Theyyam is a popular annual ritual in the temples of North Kerala, especially Kannur and Kasaragod districts. Theyyam at Anjootambalam veerakavu temple marks the beginning of the ritualist performance in all temples in the region. Bursting firecrackers is a traditional practice at the temple at the time of theyyam.
