Chaliyan Theru, and about two kilometers from Neeleswaram bus stand in Kasaragod, near National Highway-66, is quiet on a normal day.
However, on October 29, the narrow road leading to Anjoottambalam Veerarkavu temple in Chaliyan Theru was a hive of activity. The road is crowded with people who want to witness Kaliyattam, the annual festival that marks the beginning of the Theyyam season in north Malabar. Theyyam is a ritual performance associated with the animistic deity of the region.
This year, the temple committee has made elaborate arrangements for the two-day Kaliyattam, as the festival’s attendance has grown over the years. On October 29, temple rituals and more than three centuries of tradition came to an abrupt halt due to an explosion triggered by firecrackers stored in the temple complex. The explosion left 154 injured, and 102 were hospitalized in Kannur, Kasaragod, Kozhikode, and Mangaluru with serious injuries.
Jagadeesh Kumar, a member of the temple committee, said everything went smoothly, with a party organized for over 1,000 people. By 9:30 p.m., the 1.5-hectare temple grounds were crowded with pilgrims. After eating, people gather in front of the Kottam (temple).
Behind the temple is Kavu, a sacred grove, along with a small empty space. Most of the people are in the temple complex; some were standing near the warehouse. “Suddenly, an explosion tore through the shed, turning it into a ball of fire within seconds,” recalled 20-year-old Mithun Madhan, currently undergoing treatment at Kasaragod’s Kanhangad district hospital.
Madhan, a resident of Kovil in Cheravathur, about seven kilometers from the temple, attended the festival for the first time with his neighbor Sreehari and friend Alan Joseph, who came from Ernakulam. The two friends are critically ill and are in the ICU wards of hospitals in Kannur and Mangaluru.
“We saw two people bursting crackers outside the warehouse,” he said. “One brought crackers from the warehouse. We make clear reservations about exploding near warehouses.
Madhan said that one of the men was lighting crackers with a burning cigarette or beedi. Not long after, someone else came and set off fireworks outside the room. “While my two friends stayed near the front door of the warehouse, I took refuge behind a pillar a few meters away, because of the silence,” he said.
Suddenly, there was a huge explosion, and he felt a burning sensation in his hand. “I peeked, and a ball of fire burned my face and neck,” he said through tears. “The pillar saved me,” Madhan said.
Amalraj and Abhinanda, both from Cheravathur, and admitted to the same ward in the Kanhangad district hospital, said they were only a few meters from the storeroom when the fire broke out. They suffer from pain in their arms, back, and neck. “People started running away, and we got sick,” Amalraj recalled.
For Sanoj and his family from Karivellur, the festival was a long-awaited family reunion. Sanoj, his two children, Sooraj’s brother, Sooraj’s son, and his father are all seriously injured and are being treated at AJ Hospital in Mangaluru. “I returned from Kuwait three days ago, hoping to spend time with my children and family,” Sanoj said. “I tried to protect my children, but they hurt too.”
“I held my six-year-old son child but he was pulled out of my arms by the explosion,” said Sooraj, who had come from Bengaluru to attend the festival. He was hurt, as was his daughter, who is in the ICU with a facial injury.
Many participants did not know that explosives had been stored in the warehouse. Usually, a small number of firecrackers are burst in the empty space behind the temple as part of the annual festival. But this time is different. Some members of the temple committee also claimed they did not know how the firecrackers ended up in the warehouse.
Suresh Babu ‘Anjoottan’ of the Vela community, a prominent Theyyam artiste who performs at the temple, said that unlike other festivals, there is no large-scale fireworks display during the Theyyam festival. Only a few crackers are burst to mark the beginning of Theyyam through invocation (Thottam). It is believed that after Thottam, the performer metamorphoses into a deity, dancing to the rhythm of instruments like chenda and elathala.
Babu, who has been performing Theyyam here for more than 45 years, said his father had done the same 65 years earlier. “This tradition, which is more than 350 years old, has never witnessed such a tragedy,” he said.
Soon after the blast, District Collector K. Inbasekar and Superintendent of Police D. Shilpa reached the spot. The victim was transported by private vehicle, ambulance, and police vehicle to a nearby hospital and then transferred to the main hospital for further treatment.
Inbasekar said permission is required to carry out fireworks in public gatherings. In this case, the temple committee has obtained permission. Shilpa said the police have registered a case against eight temple committee members and arrested committee president PK Chandrasekharan and secretary Bharathan.
The police also arrested P. Rajesh, who was entrusted by the temple committee to handle firecrackers, and Vijayan, for carrying out fireworks. Vijayan had lost a finger at the same temple 16 years ago when a cracker exploded in his hand. The temple committee has stopped him from bursting crackers at the festival.
But the police said that Vijayan was bursting crackers near the warehouse. Both Vijayan and Rajesh have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Explosive Substances Act. Chandrasekharan, Bharatan, and Rajesh were granted bail on Friday.
The district police chief said that many firecrackers were stored in the warehouse. A preliminary investigation suggested that sparks from firecrackers outside the warehouse caused the explosion. Shilpa said the firecrackers cost ₹ 30,000, including Chinese-made items and local manufacturers. However, there are questions as to why the fireworks show was staged so close to the warehouse. Vijayan’s presence at the event was also questioned by some residents.
A nine-member special investigation team, headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Kanhangad Babu Peringeth, has been formed to investigate the incident. The team started recording the statements of the blast victims. In addition, forensic and bomb squads have collected samples from the spot.
The tragedy has fueled tensions between political parties. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) publicly questioned the police and the district administration as to why they failed to prevent the tragedy. He has been sparring with the CPI(M) over accountability.
BJP State Secretary K. Sreekanth said only low-intensity Chinese firecrackers were kept, and accused the district administration of shifting the blame to temple officials. “If high-intensity explosives had been involved, the damage would have been catastrophic,” he said. He also asked about the arrest.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) workers appealed to people not to blame games, as a unified relief effort rather than ‘partisan bickering’ was the need of the hour. CPI(M) leader EP Jayarajan said the fault lies with the festival organisers. Everyone should take precautionary measures and participate in the blame game is totally inappropriate, he said.
Neeleswaram Police Inspector Nibin Joy said the temple authorities only informed the police about the festival and not about the fireworks. The committee should have asked permission to use firecrackers. Police personnel have been deployed at the temple to control the crowd and to ensure law and order, he said.
E. Shajeer, a councilor in Neeleswaram municipality, said that Rajesh, one of the two crackers, was aligned with the BJP and his arrest did not sit well with the party. However, the temple committee, which is made up of people from all walks of life, is not controlled by a single political party, he said.
The incident once again shows the lack of medical facilities and specialist hospitals in Kasaragod district. Although the victims were initially treated in nearby hospitals, many had to be referred to hospitals in neighboring districts or in Mangaluru in Karnataka.
According to official records, of the 102 admitted, around 70 were referred to hospitals in Kannur, Kozhikode, and Mangaluru. PC Rajan, who lives near the temple, said his brother and sister, who were critically ill, were shifted to a private hospital in Kannur due to limited facilities at the Kanhangad district hospital.
Rajan said his sister, who is recuperating in Kannur, may need plastic surgery. “It will be a relief if Kasaragod has a hospital with such facilities,” he said.
While the government has announced its decision to cover all the medical expenses of the victims, some hospitals have been accused of charging patients. The Collector said that all the 13 hospitals treating the victims have been assured that all expenses will be borne by the government. “The District Medical Officer has coordinated with the hospitals, including in Dakshina Kannada. A team will visit the hospitals to ensure compliance,” he said.
But it looks like the road to recovery is long for many.
Published – 02 November 2024 01:01 IST
