NEW DELHI: At least 86 people were killed and more than 350 injured on Sunday after a massive explosion at a temple in southern India where crowds had gathered for a fireworks display, Kerala Director General of Police said.
The fire is expected to have occurred after an explosion at a storeroom on the temple’s premises that was housing large amounts of firecrackers for the festivities, according to the local media. The firefighters and police worked during the night at the temple in Kollam district to douse the fire and take the injured to hospital.
While Kerala home minister Ramesh Chennithala said that More than 50 people died after a massive explosion at a temple in southern India where crowds had gathered for a fireworks display.
“More than 50 people have died, that is the information that we have,” Chennithala told the media.
“More than 150 people are injured,” he said. Large crowds had come together at the Hindu Puttingal Devi temple in the coastal town of Paravur at 3am to watch the fireworks display.
“Now the situation is under control… the police are on the spot,” he said. Fires and stampedes are common at temples and during religious occasions, often because of poor security arrangements and lax safety standards.
