Thrissur Firecracker Unit Explosion: Magisterial Inquiry Ordered

Thrissur: The death toll from the catastrophic explosion at the Thiruvambadi fireworks unit in Mundathikode, Thrissur, has climbed to twelve, with rescue operations continuing into the evening hours. Twenty-three persons have been admitted to Thrissur Medical College Hospital, many of them local residents. The fire broke out at around 2.30 pm on Tuesday in a paddy field area at Mundathikode, and hours later the blaze remains uncontrolled with secondary explosions still occurring. The cause of the explosion has not been officially established, though extreme heat is the primary working hypothesis.

District Collector Shikha Surendran announced that a magisterial inquiry has been ordered, with the Revenue Divisional Officer directed to conduct the investigation and submit a report. The Collector said water tankers are being continuously supplied to the Fire and Rescue Service, and lighting arrangements are being put in place to ensure rescue operations can continue through the night without interruption. All hospitals in the district have been placed on alert, and the situation at Thrissur Medical College is stated to be under control.

Between 30 and 40 workers are believed to have been inside the facility at the time of the blast. Of these, only four are currently assessed to have escaped. The primary objective of rescue teams remains locating and extracting anyone still trapped inside the debris.

The firecracker unit stored the complete pyrotechnics inventory for both the sample display scheduled for April 24 and the main Thrissur Pooram fireworks on the morning of April 27, casting serious uncertainty over one of Kerala's most celebrated annual festivals.