BLAST AT FIRECRACKER UNIT CHERPULASSERY

BLAST AT FIRECRACKER UNIT CHERPULASSERY

 Six persons were killed, four of them on the spot, in an explosion at a firecracker unit at Panthalamkurissi, near Cherpulassery, on Saturday,2^nd March,2013. One person suffered grievous injuries.The blast went off at 12.30 p.m. in the storage shed of the firecracker unit, located in a rubber plantation nearly 1.5 km from the main road. Eyewitnesses said there was a loud sound and soon the area was engulfed in fire and smoke. The local people with the help of the police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel rushed the injured to the hospital. Two of them were taken to Kozhikode Medical College. One succumbed to his injuries later while the other person is battling for life. The dead were identified by the police as Musthafa (41), Thazhathethil house, Nallaya; Sukumaran (65), son of Ayyappan, Thalikkal House, Panniyamkurissi; Musthafa (40), son of Moidu,

Puthanpeedika, Panniyamkurissi; Suresh (40), son of Chandran, Cherippattil Veedu, Thekkemuri; Sadasivan (42), son of Sankaran, Akathenparambil House, Panniyampadam; and Raman (42), son of Sankaran, Cherikkattil House, Panniyampadam. Mani (49), Markathodi House, Kongad, is in a critical condition at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, police sources said.District Collector P.M. Ali Asgar Pasha said the firecracker unit was owned by Amukka (Mohammed) who possessed a valid licence..The government ordered an inquiry into the fireworks accident at Panniyamkurissi. The government also announced immediate relief to the dependents of the dead and those seriously injured in the accident. Mr. Pasha said a magisterial inquiry would be conducted by Ottapalam Sub-Collector A. Kaushikan. He would submit a report within two months.

The Collector said the government had sanctioned Rs.10,000 each as immediate relief to the dependents of those killed and those seriously injured. More compensation would be announced after the State Cabinet meeting next week, he said.M.B. Rajesh, MP, who visited the accident site, urged the government to pay compensation of Rs.5 lakh each to the dependents of those killed in the accident.

Prof. John Kurakar