Fireworks accident in Indian temple injures dozens (VIDEO)

More than 150 people were injured, including eight seriously, in a fireworks accident during a temple festival in the southern Indian state of Kerala, PTI news agency has reported, citing police. According to local media, 97 people were admitted to the hospital, with eight suffering 80% burns.

The accident occurred during the annual Moolamkuzhi Chamundi Theyyam festival in Nileshwar, Kasaragod district. The rituals are known to include lit torches made from dried coconut leaves.

Eyewitnesses reported that the incident took place around midnight during a fireworks display when a firecracker struck a building storing explosives.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the area where the firework was set off and the storage room were just a few meters apart, though regulations require a minimum distance of 100 meters, according to the local authorities and Manorama News.

Police have taken the temple’s president and secretary into custody in connection with the incident. Reports indicate that the fireworks display was conducted without a permit, and the celebrations at the temple have been suspended.

In an unrelated incident in Hyderabad, a wholesale firecracker shop caught fire on Sunday, triggering panic among shoppers. The chaos was captured in a viral video circulating on social media.

These incidents occurred just days before Diwali, known as the festival of lights, one of the biggest Hindu festivals in India and other South Asian countries. Homes, businesses, and public spaces are decorated with lamps and fireworks displays take place. The custom of setting off firecrackers has increasingly become a topic of debate due to rising pollution levels, particularly in the northern regions of the country.