Thrissur fireworks blast: Govt orders judicial probe, declares state disaster
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Thrissur: The Kerala government on Wednesday ordered a judicial inquiry into the deadly fireworks explosion at Mundathikkode in Thrissur district, while also announcing financial assistance for victims and their families. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting, with the state declaring the incident a state-specific disaster.
Revenue Minister K. Rajan said the judicial probe will be headed by retired High Court judge Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair. The inquiry is expected to examine the circumstances leading to the blast, possible lapses in safety protocols, accountability issues, and compliance with regulations governing the storage and handling of fireworks.
As part of the relief measures, the government announced a compensation of ₹14 lakh for the families of those killed. This includes ₹10 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund and ₹4 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund. Those injured in the incident will receive ₹2 lakh each.
The explosion at a fireworks storage facility on Tuesday claimed 13 lives, sending shockwaves across Kerala.
Authorities said nine bodies have so far been brought to the mortuary, of which seven have been identified. The identified victims include Sudarshan (54) from Pazhayannur in Thrissur; Vasudevan (54) from Kachoor in Palakkad; Suvin (40) from Kundannur in Thrissur; Manikandan (60) from Edappal; Subramanian (50) from Kulathur in Malappuram; Bijish from Chirakkal; and Manikandan (33) from Kottappuram, who was not associated with the fireworks unit but was a local resident.
Officials further said 26 human body parts have been recovered from the site and are currently kept in the mortuary, making identification of the remaining victims difficult. Forensic examinations are underway to establish the identities of those yet to be identified.
The scale of the tragedy has raised serious concerns over safety standards in fireworks manufacturing and storage units. Rescue, identification, and relief operations are continuing as the state grapples with one of its worst fireworks-related disasters in recent years.
With IANS inputs
