LAGATAR24 DESK
Kasaragod, Kerala: A devastating fireworks accident during the Moolamkuzhi Chamundi Theyyam festival near Veerarkavu Temple in Neeleswaram, Kasaragod, Kerala, left over 150 people injured, with eight reported in critical condition, according to local police sources. The incident occurred around midnight on Monday as an explosion in a fireworks storage facility sparked a massive fire, injuring several bystanders, including women and children who had gathered to witness the Theyyam ritual.
“The injured have been rushed to various hospitals across Kasaragod, Kannur, and Mangaluru,” police officials reported, adding that “top district officials, including the collector and district police chief, are on the scene.”
According to initial reports, the explosion happened when a misfired cracker hit a storage building containing fireworks. Mathrubhumi reported that “the condition of five persons at Kanhangad district hospital is critical,” with 33 people admitted there. Aishal Hospital, Kanhangad, has taken in 19 injured individuals, while 12 have been admitted to Arimala Hospital.
In total, forty injured people are being treated at Sanjeevani Hospital, with additional patients at Nileshwar Taluk Hospital, Aster MIMS Hospital in Kannur, and hospitals in Mangaluru and Pariyaram Government Medical College, Kannur.
The local administration has launched an investigation into the cause of the accident, as the community rallies to support the injured and their families.
