More than 100 dead after fireworks show sparks explosion at temple in southern India

reporting from Mumbai, India —  A fireworks storeroom at a temple in southern India exploded during a religious ceremony early Sunday, enveloping the temple in flames and white smoke and leaving more than 100 people dead, officials said.

More than 350 people were injured in the explosion and health officials said the death toll could rise.

Several thousand people had gathered inside the complex of the Paravur Puttingal Devi temple in the southern state of Kerala to watch a fireworks show when a nearby building where additional firecrackers were being stored caught fire. Officials said early reports indicated the explosion occurred when sparks from the fireworks on display landed on the storehouse.

Chunks of concrete were sent flying for several hundred yards, witnesses said. Many victims lost limbs and eyes and were airlifted to hospitals across Kerala. The temple is located in Kollam, about 40 miles from the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram.

“Many have sustained burns of over 50% [of their bodies] and the condition of some of them are quite serious,” D. Mohandas, the superintendent of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, told The Hindu newspaper.

Officials said temple authorities had not obtained permission for the fireworks display and pledged to press charges against those responsible, according to Indian media reports. Firecrackers, including many crude models set off by hand, are a staple of Indian festivals and routinely cause injuries to eyes and other parts of the body, especially among children.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the fire was “shocking beyond words” and flew to Kerala to assess the damage.

C.R. Neelakandan, a local political activist, blamed the fire on “basic negligence.”

“Earlier, this festival used to happen in open spaces. They should have taken proper proactive measures,” Neelakandan said.

“A similar festival is coming up in a week’s time. It seems these rituals have always gone ahead without proper prior assessment.”

Pyrotechnics at temples are reportedly banned in Kollam but temples routinely obtain waivers to set off fireworks at religious ceremonies.

Modi said the government would provide cash payments of about $3,000 to the families of those killed.

Parth M.N. is a special correspondent.

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