More than 150 people were injured, including eight who suffered serious injuries, in a fireworks accident during a temple festival near Neeleswaram late Monday, according to police reports. The injured individuals have been transported to hospitals in Kasargod, Kannur, and Mangaluru.
The incident took place at Veerarkavu Temple near Neeleswaram. On Tuesday, the District Collector stated that those with serious injuries sustained burns covering 80 percent of their bodies.
“The cause of the accident is being ascertained. Samples have been collected from the site. A case was lodged,” he said.
He added that preliminary investigations revealed the fireworks storage facility was located close to the area where the crackers were being ignited.
“The safety precautions were not taken. The requirement of maintaining a minimum distance of 100 meters between the two was not followed. No permission was taken either for storage of fireworks,” he added.
Police suspect that the accident happened when a fireworks storage facility near Veerarkavu Temple caught fire. The incident took place around midnight.
There is significant demand for firecrackers, commonly used in religious festivals and weddings. Unfortunately, fatal accidents happen almost every year due to unsafe working conditions in makeshift factories. Earlier, last July, an explosion at a fireworks factory in southern India claimed the lives of eight people.
In 2018, a large fire at a firecracker factory in New Delhi resulted in the deaths of 17 workers. The previous year, a blast in Madhya Pradesh during the production of firecrackers killed 23 individuals.