Tremors felt beyond a kilometer, explosion leaves homes doorless and devastated

KOCHI: Explosion in Thrippunithura caused tremors up to a kilometer away and damaging about 30 houses in the vicinity. The incident occurred during the unloading of firecrackers at the Puthiyidam Temple, known for its grand annual fireworks display. Firecrackers brought from Palakkad ignited unexpectedly resulting in a violent explosion around 10:30 am.

The blast, which occurred as the firecrackers were being moved to a nearby concrete building, injured several people, including women and children. Currently, 12 people are receiving medical treatment with Adarsh, Anil, Madhu, Ananthan and a two-and-a-half-year-old boy named Devpriyesh among those transferred to Kalamassery Medical College. Tragically, Vishnu, a resident of Ullur, Thiruvananthapuram lost his life in the blast.

The explosion also caused significant damage to property, with windows and roofs shattered in nearby houses. Eyewitnesses reported feeling the explosion up to 300 meters away, with debris thrown as far as 400 meters. The fire, which spread to nearby shops, destroyed two vehicles before being brought under control by six units of the fire force and local residents.

Authorities are conducting an investigation to determine if there were any explosives beneath the building, as residents recount the intensity of the blast that shook the area.