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Kerala orders judicial probe after Thrissur fireworks blast kills 14, injures 40
The massive explosion happened on Tuesday afternoon at a firecracker manufacturing plant in Mundathikodu, near Wadakkanchery. It was preparing fireworks for the Thrissur Pooram festival
- PUBLISHED: Wed 22 Apr 2026, 12:57 PM
The Kerala government on Wednesday ordered a judicial inquiry into the circumstances that led to the blast at a fireworks unit in Thrissur, where 14 people were killed Tuesday.
Revenue minister K. Rajan, told reporters that the cabinet decided to provide financial assistance of Rs1.4 million (about Dh55,000) to the dependents of those who died.
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The government will also bear the medical expenses of the 40 injured in government and private hospitals for the next six months. The massive explosion happened on Tuesday afternoon at a firecracker manufacturing plant in Mundathikodu, near Wadakkanchery.
The unit has been operational for over a decade. It was preparing fireworks for the Thrissur Pooram festival, which began on Monday. The history of the festival dates back 200 years. It attracts more than a million visitors over a 36-hour period.
P.N. Surendran, vice-chairperson of Wadakanchery municipality, told reporters there was no clarity as to how many workers were in the shed. “It is suspected that extreme heat may have contributed to this tragic incident," he said.
A temple committee official said groups could store about 2,000kg of firecrackers for each display.
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'Body parts scattered'
Varghese Tharakan, a resident, told the media that it was a devastating scene at the site. “Body parts were scattered across the field,” he said, adding: "The impact of the blast was felt within at least kilometre radius.”
Tharakan had just parked his car was about to step out when the first explosion happened. “I initially thought it was an earthquake,” he said. “When more blasts followed, I realised the seriousness of the situation and rushed to the site along with others.”
Fire brigade personnel and other rescuers said the fire spread rapidly because of the summer heat, making it difficult to control it.
Ravada Chandrasekhar, the state police chief, told the media on Wednesday that special teams had been set up to investigate the explosion.
The Thrissur blast happened just two days after an explosion at a firecracker unit near Sivakasi, the fireworks hub of India, in Tamil Nadu, killed 25 workers.
About 30 workers were busy manufacturing firecrackers when the blast took place. The sound of the explosion was heard by people several kilometres away.
