Kerala: Over 150 injured in firecracker explosion during temple festival in Kasaragod; 8 critical

During the Kaliyattam festival at Anjootambalam Veererkavu temple in Nileshwar, a firecracker storehouse explosion injured over 150 people, with eight in critical condition. The incident, which occurred around 12:20 am, is believed to have been caused by sparks from a fireworks display.

Kasaragod: A major fire accident occurred at the Anjootambalam Veererkavu temple in Nileshwar on Tuesday, injuring over 150 people. Eight of the injured are reported to be in critical condition. The wounded have been taken to various hospitals, including Kanhangad District Hospital, Sanjeevani Hospital, Pariyaram Medical College, Aishal Hospital, Kanhangad, Arimala Hospital, Kanhangad, MIMS Kannur, MIMS Calicut, KAH Cheruvathur, Manzoor Hospital, Kanhangad, AJ Medical College in Mangalore, and Deepa Hospital, Kanhangad.

The explosion happened around 12:20 am in the temple’s fireworks storehouse during the annual Kaliyattam festival. Preliminary reports suggest that sparks from a fireworks display accidentally ignited the stored firecrackers.

According to District Collector Inbasekhar Kalimuthu, of the 154 injured people, 94 are currently receiving treatment, with eight in critical condition. One individual identified as Sandeep is in especially critical condition, suffering 80% burns, and has been transferred from Pariyaram Medical College to a private hospital in Kozhikode. Currently, five people are being treated at Pariyaram Medical College.

As many as 16 people are being treated at Kanhangad Hospital, 10 at Sanjeevani Hospital, 17 at Aishal Hospital, 5 at Pariyaram Medical College, 18 at MIMS Kannur, 2 at MIMS Kozhikode, 3 at Arimala Hospital, 2 at KAH Cheruvathur, 5 at Manzoor Hospital, 1 at Deepa Hospital, and 18 at AJ Medical College in Mangalore.

The accident occurred when sparks from a chain cracker ignited the storage area where other fireworks were kept, causing a large explosion. Following the incident, the police filed a case and took the president and secretary of the temple committee into custody.

The incident took place during the "Kulichu Thottam" ritual, an integral part of the Moovalamkuzhi Chamundi Theyyam—a prominent annual event that heralds the start of the Theyyam season in North Malabar. This ritual heavily involves the use of flaming torches crafted from dried coconut leaves. Thousands of devotees had assembled at the temple to witness the Moovalamkuzhi Chamundi Theyyam, which is regarded as one of the most powerful forms of theyyam.

Kasaragod District Collector Inbasekhar told Asianet News that the fireworks were stored without the necessary permit and the explosions were set off without maintaining the required minimum distance. The law mandates a minimum distance of 100 meters.