Kerala Government to foot hospital bills of people injured in temple fire

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 30 (IANS) A day after around 150 people were injured in a fireworks accident at the Anjootambalam Veererkavu Temple in Nileshwaram at Kasargod, the Kerala government has decided to foot the hospital bills of the affected.

This decision was taken at the weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

CM Vijayan proposed that the statement government would bear the treatment cost of the injured, which was approved by the cabinet.

Incidentally, the fire broke out in the temple compound after midnight on Monday, when a spark from a cracker fell into a room where fireworks worth around Rs 25,000 were stocked.

An eyewitness said: "We saw a fireball coming out of the room after which more than 1,500 people who came to witness the 'Theyyam' ritual at the temple ran helter-skelter."

This temple is known for holding the popular 'Theyyam' ritual, a common feature in most temples in Kannur and Kasargod districts.

Of the injured, the condition of one person was very serious, while eight were serious.

At least 97 people were admitted to various hospitals in Kasargod, Kozhikode, Kannur and Mangalore.

On Tuesday, the condition of those, who were serious, continued to be monitored at the hospitals.

Following the incident, the police took two temple officials and the person who lit the cracker into custody for questioning.

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

Kasargod District Superintendent of Police (SP) D. Shilpa has already said the temple authorities failed to comply with safety protocols and also did not have permission to hold the event.

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

Following the accident, the temple authorities have decided to put on hold the celebrations as part of the festival till further notice.