A deadly fire explosion during a fireworks display at a temple in Kollum, claimed the lives of over 100 people in India and resulted in the injury of more than 300. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, called his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, to express grief over this tragic incident.
According to the reports, celebrations were taking place at Puttingal Devi temple in Kollum, which is a district in Kerala, to mark the start of the local Hindu New Year, when fire erupted at the temple and caused a mayhem. The fire started when a cracker fell onto a shed, which had fireworks stocked for the event, sparkling the entire shed. Due to the intensity of the fire and explosions, the roof of the shed blew off and the accompanying administrative block of the temple and an entire neighboring building also collapsed.
Every year, firework displays are held in the temples of Kerala to mark the start of the Hindu New Year, but till now, such a tragic incident had never taken place in the history of this state. Residents of Kollum had previously complained about the dangers of these firework displays, but nothing has been done in this regard.
Modi visited Kollum with a team of doctors to help the state officials deal with this catastrophe. “The fire at the temple in Kollam is heart-rending and shocking beyond words,” he said in a Twitter post. “My thoughts are with families of the deceased and prayers with the injured.”
