Experts from NSG to reach Kochi from Delhi; one woman dead, a child and two others are critical; all-party meeting on Monday.
An eyewitness said she saw a ball of fire immediately after the blasts. (Screen grab)
Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) packed in tiffin boxes were used in the serial blasts at the Zamra Convention and Exhibition Centre at Kalamassery in the Ernakulam district, which killed a woman and injured over 50 others on Sunday, 29 October, the police said.
Security has been tightened across Kerala even as a man surrendered to the Kodakara police in the neighbouring Thrissur district, claiming he had planted the IEDs that exploded while a prayer meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses was underway.
ADGP (Law and Order) MR Ajith Kumar identified the surrendered man as Dominic Martin of Kochi, and added that he was being interrogated.
“He belongs to the same sect (Jehovah’s Witnesses), the officer told reporters. He had made a Facebook live post before his surrender, police said.
State Health Minister Veena George said 52 were under treatment after the blast. Eighteen among them are in intensive care, and the condition of a 12-year-old girl with 90-percent burns is serious. A medical board has been constituted to ensure quality treatment
The identity of the deceased woman has not been established. ADGP Kumar said she died of burns.
While confirming that tiffin-box bombs were used, the police said they could have been remotely operated.
The police said they were looking for a car that had sped away from the centre minutes before the blasts. It has been suspected that the person who had planted the bombs might have escaped in that car.
Meanwhile, an eight-member team of explosive experts from the National Security Guards (NSG) would be reaching Kochi from Delhi by evening.
Police said there was no intelligence report about any untoward incident at the prayer gathering, but sources indicated that it is being considered a terror attack.
Prayer group organiser P Sreekumar told television channels that volunteers who had cleaned the convention hall did not find anything suspicious.
There were around 2,000 people inside the centre when the blasts — at least three, according to some witnesses — occurred at around 9.30 am.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters in New Delhi that the incident was unfortunate and that an investigation was on. He said key police officers, including the state DGP, have already moved to Kochi, and efforts were underway to track down the perpetrators.
Vijayan on Sunday called for an all-party meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, 30 October.
A CMO statement said that Vijayan called for an all-party meeting on Monday at 10 am in the chief minister’s conference hall in the secretariat complex.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Vijayan and took stock of the situation, sources told PTI. Shah has directed anti-terror agencies such as the NSG, and the National Investigative Agency (NIA) to send teams to Kerala to assist the state government.
Kerala DGP Dr Shaik Darvesh Saheb was quoted as saying by agencies that “preliminary investigation shows it is an IED device and we are investigating it”.
State Industry Minister P Rajeev, who represents the area in the state Assembly, asked people not to panic and to refrain from spreading disinformation.
“Only after adequate police investigations can we draw any conclusions about those who carried out the blast,” he said.
Transport Minister Antony Raju also visited the scene. Senior police and other government officers, too, were at the scene.
The incident occurred during a meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses at the Zamra International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Kalamassery when a huge number of faithful from around the state had come for a prayer session.
According to eyewitnesses, the explosions occurred in the heart of the convention centre. The first of the multiple explosions happened around 9:30 am, minutes after the day’s prayer session began.
“The blast occurred five minutes after the prayer session began. A succession of explosions erupted from the stage of the conference hall, which was packed with approximately 2,000 people. The three-day convention began on Friday and was scheduled to end on Sunday,” according to an eyewitness who spoke to local television stations.
The police and Fire Department personnel reached the scene within minutes and began rescue operations.
Amidst the chaos that followed the explosion, eyewitnesses recounted the terrifying moments that left the venue in a state of shock and grief.
Outside the convention centre where hundreds had gathered, faces were etched with anxiety and tears. Inside, amidst the gloom and mystery that enveloped the site, police officers and firefighters searched for injured attendees.
Recounting her shocking experience, an elderly woman said, “When I opened my eyes after hearing the first blast, all I saw was a fireball in front of me. Nothing…nothing more…just a fireball. Everybody ran scattered here and there. It was a sprawling hall, and a large number of people were inside.”
Among the distressed crowd at the venue were senior citizens, including women who had actively participated in the morning prayers.
A man in his 70s, his voice trembling, described the shock of witnessing a blast amidst the densely populated prayer convention.
“I was standing at the side of the hall, praying with my eyes closed. Suddenly, a shocking blast was heard from nearby. I saw only fire around and ran to the door along with others,” he said, wiping away tears.
In all his years of attending the convention the attendee had never witnessed anything like this before, he said.
Another woman, her hands placed on her forehead, struggled to find the strength to recall the events during the prayers. “There were several elderly people and children among the participants,” she said, her voice quivering with emotion.
The eyewitness accounts depicted a horrifying scene.
The convention centre, previously known for hosting weddings, turned into a site of tragedy and horror on Sunday morning. Many residents were unaware that a prayer convention was being held there. While eyewitnesses recounted a series of explosions, after preliminary investigation police officials maintained that there was a single blast.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Veena George has directed that all government doctors in central Kerala on leave return to work as soon as possible.
To deal with the emergency, Kalamassery Government Medical College, Ernakulam General Hospital, and Kottayam Government Medical College have been put on alert.
To treat the patients, burn surgeons from Kottayam Government Medical College would travel to Kalamassery Medical College.
Minister Rajeev said that all medical assistance and facilities are available at the Kalamassery Medical College and that injured patients can be moved to other hospitals if necessary.
(With PTI inputs)
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