In Pictures: Kollam Temple Devastation Felt Half a Kilometre Away

A massive fire broke out during a fireworks display at the Puttingal temple in Kollam killing 102 people.

An illegal fireworks show in a Hindu temple in Kerala early on Sunday set off a huge fire which left nearly 100 people dead and over 350 injured, many in critical condition.

A flying spark from a firecracker landed on a building where a large quantity of crackers had been stored, setting off explosions and a massive blaze that caused destruction in no time, witnesses said.

The incident occurred in the coastal town of Paravur in Kollam district around 3.30 am when a large crowd of devotees had assembled. The temple, dedicated to Puttingal Devi, normally opens at 5 in the morning.

“Only half an hour was left for the fireworks display to get over when a spark from an exploding cracker landed on a concrete building where high potency crackers had been stored,” said Lallu S Pillai, a journalist covering the temple festival.

So deadly was the tragedy that most people got barely any time to escape from the exploding crackers and leaping flames. Many fell over one another as they tried to escape, witnesses said.

At the Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram, about 60 km away, about 100 people were being treated.

“In a few minutes, the building came crashing down and we felt the place shake,” said Pillai. “After that, it was absolute chaos. Pieces of concrete were scattered all over the place. Some were found about 500 metres away,” he added. Several houses in a half kilometre radius were damaged.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kollam to take stock of the situation. Congress party vice president Rahul Gandhi will also be visiting the site.

The tragedy has triggered sorrow across the nation.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy admitted that permission for the fireworks display had been denied but yet took place.

The prime minister announced Rs 2 lakh each as compensation to the deceased’s next of kinand Rs 50,000 each to the injured.