Thripunithura blast: A tragedy that was waiting to happen

Tragedy in Kochi as blast kills two and injures 25 due to illegal firecracker storage in residential area.

The blast that claimed two lives and injured 25, some of them critically, at Choorakkadu in Thripunithura on Monday was a tragedy that was waiting to happen.

It was common knowledge that the plot belonging to Vadakkumpuram Karayogam in the middle of a densely populated residential area was being frequently used as a transit point of firecrackers for fireworks display during the annual festival at the Puthiyakavu Devi Temple. In fact, a similar explosion at the firecracker storage unit of Vadakkumpuram Karayogam had claimed three lives in February 1982.

Sudha Suresh, Puthiyakavu division councillor, admitted that the plot was being used as a temporary firecracker storage unit during the temple festival though she claimed to be under the impression that the organisers had secured relevant permissions.

“We had no clue that firecrackers were being unloaded on the plot in such a densely populated area. One of our members right next to the plot, and was among the worst affected, had seen a traveller and car being parked on the plot. Even as he was watching their actions, the explosion happened,” said Santhosh Kumar M., president of Choorakkadu West Residents Association (CWRA) and zonal president of Thripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents Associations (TRURA), the apex body of residents’ associations in Thripunithura municipality.

He also pointed out that the fireworks display was conspicuously missing from the programme notice of the temple festival.

An emergency meeting of CWRA held on Tuesday evening was highly critical of the illegal storage of firecrackers and unanimously decided never to allow such illegal acts in the neighbourhood.

Even as discontent is brewing in the neighbourhood about the callous nature of the act that proved too costly to both life and property, the more honest among local residents admitted that people were aware about the competitive fireworks display and related illegal acts.