Temple Festival Fireworks Accident Injures 154, 8 in Critical Condition

At a temple festival near Neeleswaram here late Monday, a fireworks accident left over 150 people hurt, including eight critically, according to police. They claimed that several hospitals in Kasargod, Kannur, and Mangaluru had received the casualties.

The accident happened close to Neeleswaram at the Veerarkavu Temple. The District Collector stated that 80% of the badly injured suffered burns. He said, “The cause of the accident is being ascertained. Samples have been collected from the site. A case was lodged.”

He added that a preliminary investigation revealed that the location where the crackers were being ignited and the building used to store fireworks were nearby. He added, “The safety precautions were not taken. The requirement of maintaining a minimum distance of 100 meters between the two was not followed. No permission was taken either for storage of fireworks.”

Investigators believe the disaster happened when the fireworks storage facility near Veerarkavu Temple caught fire and the accident happened at midnight.

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