‘Had Only 3 Seconds To Escape’: Survivor Of Kerala Firecracker Factory Blast Recounts

Blast at a fireworks unit in Mundathikode Thrissur kills 13 and injures at least 24, damages nearby houses. The unit was preparing crackers for Thrissur Pooram festival.

The fireworks storage shed at Mundathikode exploded while workers were preparing materials for the Pooram display. (ANI)

In four days, Kerala’s Thrissur district was supposed to be lit with firecrackers. However, disaster struck Kerala’s cultural capital when a blast took place at a fireworks storage depot on Tuesday, killing 13 people and injuring at least 24.

The incident took place in the manufacturing unit in Mundathikode at around 3.35 pm.

“The firecracker preparation unit was situated in a paddy field that had dried after the harvest, and the intense summer heat may have worsened the incident,” an official from the Wadakkanchery Fire Station told Onmanorama. Most of the injured were workers from the facility.

According to PTI, around 40 people were suspected to have been present in the sheds at the time of the explosion, which occurred at a fireworks unit preparing crackers on behalf of a temple devaswom ahead of the upcoming Thrissur Pooram on April 26.

The impact of the blast damaged several houses in nearby areas. PTI quoted witnesses saying that most of those affected were reported to be residents of Mundathikkode and the nearby Kundannur areas.

“There was a sudden flash beside me and then fire. After that, I don’t remember anything,” said Wilson, one of the injured workers.

NDTV quoted another worker saying, “The fire began near where I was standing while we were drying the fuses. I saw the fuse catch fire and ran immediately. I think the heat may have caused it.”

“When I turned back, I heard a loud sound, and the fire had already spread. I fell, got up, and ran. Within two or three seconds everything started exploding,” he further said.

The worker said he jumped across a fence and ran into the nearby paddy field to escape.

“If anyone got time to run, it was only two or three seconds. After that everything exploded and became a ball of fire,” he said, trembling.

What Is Thrissur Pooram?

According to Kerala Tourism, Thrissur Pooram, held at Thekkinkadu Maidanam in the heart of Thrissur district, is a resplendent festival celebrated with grandeur, blending the spiritual and cultural essence of Kerala. Celebrated in the Malayalam month of Medam (April-May), this annual temple festival is widely regarded as the “Mother of all Poorams.”

The history of Thrissur Pooram dates back over 200 years. Before its inception, the Arattupuzha Pooram, held 16 kilometers away from Vadakkumnathan Temple, was the largest temple festival in Kerala.

The festival was initiated by Shakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of Kochi, Thrissur Pooram.

The Thrissur Pooram ends with a spectacular fireworks display that lights up the night sky, followed by the conclusion of the festival the next morning with the lowering of the temple flag.

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