Kerala temple fire: Protocols not followed, police detain two

Kasargod, Oct 29 (IANS) The authorities on Tuesday blamed the temple officials attached to Anjootambalam Veererkavu Temple in Kerala's Nileshwaram for the cause of the fire that left 154 people injured. The police took two officials into custody for questioning.

The fireworks accident during the temple festival occurred late Monday night.

The local authorities said it was a glaring omission of adhering to safety protocols which needed to be followed while bursting firecrackers,

The injured included those who had come to watch the popular 'Theyyam' ritual.

Two temple officials have already been taken into custody by the police who are questioning them.

Of the injured, the condition of one person is very serious, while eight are in serious condition. A total of 97 people are admitted to various hospitals in Kasargod, Kozhikode, Kannur and also at Mangalore.

Kasargod district Superintendent of Police (SP) D.Shilpa said the authorities failed to comply with safety protocols and also did not have any permission for the event.

District Collector K. Inbasekar said the police have launched a probe into all aspects and it would reveal the lapses that have taken place.

The samples from the accident site have been collected for forensic examination.

Eyewitnesses recall that the accident occurred after sparks ignited fireworks stored in a room.

They pointed out that the temple authorities had stored small-intensity fireworks worth around Rs 25,000 for the festival which ends on Tuesday night.

A young girl, who was present inside the temple at the time of the incident and is receiving treatment at a local hospital, said that the accident took place after sparks from crackers fell into a room where other fireworks were stored. "Soon we were all running away. I and a few others fell and were injured. My sister escaped unhurt," she said.

Local CPI(M) MLA M. Rajagopal termed the incident "very unfortunate" and spoke to the District Collector.

"The firecrackers were of low intensity and it (incident) happened when the sparks of the firecrackers fell into the place where more were stored," he said.

Kasargod MP Rajmohan Unnithan said that the incident took place after midnight when firecrackers were being burst to celebrate the festival and there was a serious lapse on the part of the officials who failed to ensure the adherence to safety protocols.