Kerala Government Sanctions Rs 4 Lakh for Families of Victims in Nileshwaram Temple Blast

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala cabinet, that met here on Wednesday with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the chair, sanctioned Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the four people who died in the major blast at the Anjootambalam Veererkavu Temple in Nileshwaram last week after firecrackers kept for a function caught fire.

Last week, the Vijayan government decided to foot the medical bills of all the victims.

As many as 154 people were injured in the blasts and the blaze and around 100 of them continue to be under treatment, including 15 people in intensive care units at various hospitals.

All the four deceased, identified as Shibin Raj, Biju, Ratheesh, and Sandeep, were in their late 30s.

While Shibhin Raj died on Monday, the other three succumbed to their burn injuries later last week.

The fireworks accident during the temple festival occurred late on Monday night last week and the local authorities said it was a glaring omission on the part of the temple authorities who did not adhere to safety protocols to be followed while bursting firecrackers.

The injured included those who had come to watch the popular ‘Theyyam’ ritual, one which brings the local populace out in huge numbers as this is one event seen in temples mostly in Kannur and Kasargod districts.

The police took three officials into custody for questioning after the tragedy and recorded their arrest, but a local court gave them bail. However, the district court cancelled the bail.

Kasargod’s Superintendent of Police, D. Shilpa, said the authorities failed to comply with safety protocols and also did not have any permission for the event. After the district court cancelled the bail, it became clear that there was a serious laxity on the part of the authorities.

Following the accident, the temple has cancelled all further events while other temples have started to strictly follow the guidelines issued by authorities when bursting crackers.