The state has been shaken yet again by a catastrophic cracker unit blast. Six persons were charred to death and one was seriously injured when a cracker manufacturing unit caught fire at Panniyankurissy near Cherpalassery on Saturday. Four persons died on the spot and two on way to hospital.
The accident occurred at 12.15 pm when a makeshift tent caught fire and exploded with a loud bang.
The deceased were identified as Katampazhipuram Sadasivan, Palathingal Sukumaran of Cherpalassery, Thazhathethil Musthafa of Nellaya, Cherikottil Suresh, 36, son of Chandran of Panniyankurissy, Raman of Puthenkurisshu and Puthenpidiykiyil Musthafa. Sadasivan, 46, died on way to the Kozhikode Medical College.
The seriously injured Mani of Kongad has been admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College.
The tent went up in flames and the tarpaulin was seen hanging from atop a nearby coconut tree. Grass and trees in an area of around 300 metres were blackened in the impact of the fire which blazed for more than an hour.
District fire officer K K Shiju said that four units from the fire stations of Shoranur, Mannarkad and Perinthalamanna battled for one hour to douse the fire.
The bodies were lying scattered in pieces and the locals could not go near the site as the fires were blazing and there were three more sheds with ingredients stored in them. It was only after the fire unit came from Shoranur that the people came near the site, said station officer of the Shoranur fire station S L Dileep.
Around 20 workers had taken permission to go for a marriage around 12 noon, just 15 minutes before the blasts, said M Madhu, the leading fireman. Or else, the casualties would have been higher.
The site of the accident was a plateau and there were three more sheds at the site on the higher and the lower reaches which did not catch fire.
Shiju said that one of the sheds was used for storing ingredients, one for casing and the other to fix the wicks to the crackers. In one shed, there were three categories of sacks. While one contained sulphur, the second was of charcoal and the third a white powder which resembled potassium nitrate.
Shiju said that it could also be potassium chlorate which was ten times more powerful than potassium nitrate. Only after examination at the laboratory, the ingredients could be identified. He said that the upper reaches were used to fix the wicks.
The personnel of the bomb detection and disposal squad and forensic expert Unnikrishnan were also at the site. Unnikrishnan said that finger prints could be collected even after the place was watered with hose pipes.
The site belonged to Kalakunnath Mohammed, who is the licensee. The licence was reported to be valid till the end of the current financial year.
Sunday 3 March 2013
http://newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/article1486351.ece
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