The accident occurred around 12.20 am on 29 October during the Vellatam Theyyam ritual and left 154 people injured, including eight with critical injuries.
Published Nov 03, 2024 | 1:25 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 03, 2024 | 1:25 PM
Sadeep and Ratheesh, the people who died following the Kasaragod temple fireworks mishap. (Supplied)
On Sunday, 3 November, the death toll following the fireworks explosion that happened during a festival at the Theru Anjootambalam Veererkavu Temple in Nileshwaram of the Kasaragod district in Kerala on 29 October reached two.
Sandeep, a 38-year-old auto-rickshaw driver from the Kinavoor area in Choyamkode passed away on Saturday. On Sunday, Ratheesh(32) also succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital in Kozhikode.
The accident occurred around 12.20 am on 29 October during the Vellatam Theyyam ritual and left 154 people injured, including eight with critical injuries.
Meanwhile, the District Sessions Court in Kasaragod cancelled the bail given to three accused in the accident.
Sandeep had suffered burns over 45 percent of his body, including severe airway injuries, and was receiving treatment, including ventilator support, at Baby Memorial Hospital in Kannur.
According to officials, the explosion occurred when the crowd, including women and children, gathered near the fireworks display.
Stray sparks from the firecrackers reportedly ignited a temporary storage area beside the temple, triggering a large fireball that caused burns and injuries to those nearby.
Victims were initially treated at the Kasaragod District Hospital, while severe cases were transferred to private hospitals in Mangaluru, Kannur, and the Kannur Government Medical College.
Currently, 99 people remain hospitalised, with four among them on ventilator support.
Authorities have since launched investigations into the incident. The Kasaragod District Police established a Special Investigation Team (SIT), and the district administration directed the Additional Divisional Magistrate (ADM) to conduct a separate inquiry and submit a report.
A preliminary investigation revealed significant lapses in safety measures.
Police reports indicate that the fireworks display was conducted without required permissions, and the firecrackers were stored in a temporary, sheet-covered structure within two meters of the fireline — a direct violation of safety guidelines that mandate at least 200 meters of distance.
Additionally, the crowd had gathered closer to the fireworks than the legally required 100 meters, further endangering festival attendees.
An FIR has been registered against eight individuals, all members of the temple committee, accused of carrying out the display without proper licenses or safety precautions.
The committee’s president PK Chandrasekharan, secretary KT Bharatan and another member P Rajesh — who allegedly ignited the firecrackers — had been initially granted conditional bail with conditions, but the District Sessions Court in Kasaragod has since stayed their bail.
Police have charged the accused under multiple sections, including Sections 288, 125(a), 125(b), 3(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections of the Explosive Substances Act.
The estimated value of the firecrackers, stored for the Theyyam festival, was reported at Rs 24,000.
The fire accident has once again raised questions over safety lapses at religious festivals involving fireworks and ensuring steps to prevent future tragedies at public gatherings.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
