Unexploded country bombs were recovered from the site, reinforcing suspicions that the explosion happened during bomb-making.
Published Aug 30, 2025 | 8:52 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 30, 2025 | 11:59 AM
Unexploded country bombs were recovered from the site, reinforcing suspicions that the explosion happened during bomb-making.
Synopsis: Locals said, the house, owned by a man named Govindan, had been rented two months ago by a man named Anoop, who runs a firecracker business. The impact of the blast was so severe that several nearby houses suffered damage, doors were broken and cracks appeared on walls.
A powerful explosion destroyed a rented house in Kannapuram, Kannur, around 2 am on Saturday, 30 August.
Initial reports suggest that the blast occurred during the making of country bombs, though officials have not yet released complete details. Unconfirmed reports also indicate that the residents of the house were injured, and one person may have died. Body parts were also found near the scene. The person killed in the blast is suspected to be a migrant worker.
However, Kannapuram CI Anil told South First that the body has not yet been identified. Meanwhile, Thaliparamba Fire Force team confirmed that they received a call around 3 am and reached the spot by 3.15 am. The crew is still at the site, assisting in clearing the debris of the house.
Meanwhile, a high-level police team led by Kannur City Police Commissioner P Nidhin Raj is camping at the location, and the forensic team from Kannur has been conducting examinations since early morning. The bomb squad also rushed to the spot soon after the incident and launched an investigation.
Unexploded country bombs were recovered from the site, reinforcing suspicions that the explosion happened during bomb-making.
The area has since been cordoned off, and an FIR has been registered under the Explosive Substances Act based on a complaint from a neighbour whose house was damaged in the blast.
Locals said, the house, owned by a man named Govindan, had been rented two months ago by a man named Anoop, who runs a firecracker business. The impact of the blast was so severe that several nearby houses suffered damage, doors were broken and cracks appeared on walls.
Later in the day, the deceased has been identified as Muhammed Asham, a native of Chalad, who was working with Anoop, a suspected firecracker supplier.
Asham reportedly died in his sleep, and parts of the house were reduced to rubble, with the impact shattering doors and cracking walls of nearby homes.
The house was rented by a man who identified himself as “Anoop Malik”, claiming to be an employee at a Payyannur spare parts shop.
Police investigations, however, revealed that the name was fake and that the tenant was actually Anoop from Alavil, Kannur, a man with a history of involvement in explosive-related cases.
Anoop, who has previously been accused in multiple cases — including the infamous 2016 powder keg blast — was allegedly operating under the cover of firecracker supply for festivals.
Locals and political leaders alleged that he has been shielded in the past by being booked under lighter charges despite serious violations.
CPI(M) Kannur district secretary K.K. Ragesh hinted that there could be “some other activity” behind the explosion. “A person dies while sleeping — how does such an explosion happen? There must be more to it. Police are investigating whether others are involved,” he said.
Kannur DCC president Martin George criticised the police for failing to detect such activities. “If the accused was involved in similar incidents earlier, why was he allowed to continue? The manufacturers and their motives must be thoroughly investigated,” he demanded.
House owner Govindan said the residence was rented out to Anoop about a year ago and that three men had been living there. “They were well-behaved, paid rent regularly, and I had no reason to suspect anything. Even when I visited recently, I saw no materials related to explosives,” he told reporters. Govindan added that he has now decided to move out of the locality, with another house being readied for him.
Police records show that Anoop was earlier arrested in 2009 and 2013 by the Valapattanam police for possessing illegal firecrackers. Despite repeated run-ins with the law, he continued to operate in the region.
Saturday’s blast has once again brought to light the shadowy networks involved in the illegal handling of explosives in Kannur, a district with a chequered history of political and criminal violence.
Authorities are continuing their investigation, and further details are awaited.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
