Kerala convention centre blast | 1 dead, over 36 injured; state on high alert
More than one blast being reported; people present at convention centre tell media first blast occurred in middle of prayer
A high alert has been sounded in Kerala following a blast at a convention centre in Kalamassery in Kochi on Sunday (October 29) in which one person was killed and over 36 injured.
At least 10 of the injured persons have been admitted to the ICU, police told The Federal.
While eyewitnesses at the convention centre reported at least three blasts, police are yet to confirm the same.
Kerala DGP, Dr Shaik Darvesh Saheb, said the explosion is suspected to be an IED blast. A special investigation team will be constituted today to probe the incident, Saheb said.
'Unfortunate, taking it seriously,' says CM Vijayan
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the incident is being taken seriously.
“It's a very unfortunate incident. We are collecting details regarding the incident. All top officials are there in Ernakulam. DGP is moving to the spot. We are taking it very seriously. I have spoken to DGP. We need to get more details after the investigation,” Vijayan told the media.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Chief Minister Vijayan and took stock of the situation, sources said.
Teams of the anti-terror force National Security Guard (NSG) and anti-terror probe agency National Investigation Agency (NIA) are being sent to Kerala following a directive of the home minister to assist the state government.
"The home minister spoke to the Kerala chief minister to take stock of the situation after the blast. The chief minister briefed the home minister about the incident," a source said.
Kerala Ministers K Rajan, VN Vasavan and Antony Raju visited the injured at hospitals.
State Industries Minister P Rajeev said the blast site has been cordoned off and police and fire rescue have been pressed into service. Rajeev said that reportedly few of the injured have suffered serious burns. He said that all medical aid and facilities are available at the Kalamassery Medical College and if required, the injured can be shifted to other hospitals.
The minster said that information about the nature of the blast or if anyone was behind it was not known presently.
Kamalaserry’s district collector said all angles are being probed and it is too early to arrive at a conclusion.
Healthcare professionals asked to report for duty
Kerala Health Minister Veena George urged government healthcare professionals to report for duty in the wake of the blast. Another person present at the centre said there were over 2,000 people inside the hall when the incident occurred. According to Police, a call was received around 9 am about the blast, seeking police assistance.
Visuals of the incident on TV channels showed fire rescue and police personnel in large numbers evacuating people from the site. Disturbing visuals of the blast inside the convention centre showed multiple fires inside the hall as people and children were heard screaming in fear. The video also showed some people trying to quell the fires as the hall was littered with scattered and damaged chairs. Hundreds of people were seen outside the convention centre post the explosion.