Kerala, Kasaragod: A fire broke out in the storage area for firecrackers at the Kaliyatta Mahotsav celebration at the Anjutambalam Veerarkav Devaswom Temple in Nileswaram, Kasaragod. This tragic incident resulted in 97 people being injured, with Sandeep in critical condition due to severe burns. He was admitted to Kannur Baby Memorial Hospital. Other injured individuals are receiving treatment across several hospitals: Kanhangad District Hospital (05), Sanjeevani Hospital (06), Aishal Hospital (16), Pariyaram Medical College (05), Kannur MIMs (27), Kozhikode MIMs (03), Arimala Hospital (02), Mansoor Hospital (06), Sunrise Hospital (02), Kannur Baby Memorial Hospital (02), and Mangalore AJ Hospital (23).
The accident occurred on October 28, 2024, around 11:55 p.m. Initial investigations suggest that sparks from firecrackers set off during the festival ignited the stored firecrackers, resulting in a massive explosion. The crowd present at the scene suffered injuries not only from burns but also from a stampede caused by the panic. The firecrackers were reportedly stored without proper authorization.
The Nileswaram police have filed a case under the Explosive Substances Act (Cr.No. 771/24) against temple officials Chandrasekaran, Bharatan, AV Bhaskaran, Tampan, Chandran, Babu, Rajesh, and Shashi. The investigation is currently ongoing.
During the incident, police officer Nitin Krishna from the Kasaragod District Police Headquarters, who was on duty for Theyam Kala, heroically saved a child from the fire, demonstrating his commitment to duty. Swift intervention by onlookers also expedited the rescue efforts. Senior officers, including Kannur Range DIG Rajpal Meena IPS, District Police Chief Shilpa DIPS, and DySPs Johnson KJ, Babu Peringeth, and Sunilkumar, promptly arrived at the scene upon hearing of the incident and led the rescue operation.
