Kerala Government Initiates Judicial Inquiry Following Fatal Fireworks Incident
Judicial Inquiry Ordered in Thrissur Fireworks Tragedy
A screen grab image of the accident site(Photo: IANS)
Thrissur, April 22: On Wednesday, the Kerala government announced a judicial inquiry into the tragic fireworks explosion that occurred in Mundathikkode, Thrissur. Alongside this, a compensation package for the victims and their families has been introduced.
This decision was made during a Cabinet meeting, where Revenue Minister K. Rajan confirmed that the incident will be classified as a state-specific disaster.
The inquiry will be led by Justice (retired) C.N. Ramachandran Nair.
In a press briefing following the Cabinet meeting, Rajan revealed that the government will allocate Rs 14 lakh to the families of the deceased, which includes Rs 10 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund and Rs 4 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
Those injured in the incident will receive Rs 2 lakh each.
The explosion at a fireworks storage site on Tuesday resulted in 13 fatalities, causing widespread shock throughout the state.
Authorities reported that nine bodies have been retrieved and seven of them have been identified.
The identified victims include Sudarshan (54) from Pazhayannur, Vasudevan (54) from Kachoor, Suvin (40) from Kundannur, Manikandan (60) from Edappal, Subramanian (50) from Kulathur, Bijish from Chirakkal, and Manikandan (33) from Kottappuram, who was a local resident and not affiliated with the fireworks unit.
In addition to the bodies, 26 human remains have been found and are currently stored in the mortuary, complicating the identification process.
Forensic investigations are ongoing to determine the identities of the remaining victims.
The magnitude of this tragedy has raised significant concerns regarding safety measures in the handling and storage of fireworks.
The judicial inquiry will investigate the events leading up to the explosion, potential accountability issues, and compliance with safety regulations.
Meanwhile, the administration is actively engaged in rescue operations, identification, and relief efforts as the state faces one of its most severe fireworks-related disasters in recent memory.