Kerala religious meet blast: Death toll rises to 3; one held after claiming responsibility

Two women and a 12-year-old girl died and 50 people were injured, some seriously, in multiple blasts at a Christian religious gathering in a convention centre near the port city of Kochi on Sunday (October 29) morning, sending shockwaves across Kerala.

A few hours after the incident, a man claiming to be a member of Jehovah’s Witnesses, surrendered before police in Thrissur district of the state, claimingthat he carried out the multiple blasts.

State Health Minister Veena George said 52 were injured; 30 were admitted to various hospitals in the state and, of them, 18 were in ICUs.

Of the 18, six (including the 12-year-old child who died later) were in critical condition, with three of them having suffered over 90 per cent burns, the minister had said earlier. She said teams of plastic and general surgeons arrived at the Kalamassery Medical College from the Thrissur and Kottayam medical colleges.

Besides that, a 14-member medical board was also constituted to supervise the treatment being provided to the injured.

Late on Sunday evening, a women identified as Kumari (53) of Thodupuzha, who had suffered 90 per cent burns, succumbed to her injuries. She was under treatment in the Government Medical College Hospital, Kochi.

In the early hours of Monday (October 30), the 12-year-old girl, identified as Libina from Malayattoor in Ernakulam district, succumbed to her injuries at the Kalamassery Government Medical College Hospital, according to an official statement.

In the statement issued by the hospital’s medical board, the girl was admitted to the hospital on Sunday morning with severe burns covering 95 per cent of her body.

Despite receiving ventilator support, her condition continued to deteriorate, leading to her death at 12.40 am, it said.

A confession

ADGP (Law and Order) MR Ajith Kumar told reporters that Dominic Martin surrendered at Kodakara police station in the morning, claiming he was the one who set off the blasts.

The officer said the man gave evidence supporting his claim and the police were examining that as well as his claims and the reasons he gave for carrying out the act.

Police sources later told The Federal that they had collected evidence to connect Martin to the blast. They have traced his internet activities back to activities related to bomb-making.

Before surrendering to the police, Martin also put out a video message on a social media platform claiming responsibility for the blasts and giving reasons for his act.

In the video, which was aired on various TV channels, the man alleged that he took the decision as the teachings of the organisation were “seditious”. No one from the organisation has reacted to his allegations.

Meanwhile, a person claiming to be a member of the religious group told a TV channel that no such person was part of their organisation right now.

Martin further alleged that the organisation and its ideology were dangerous for the country and, therefore, it had to be put to an end in the state.

He claimed that he had told the organisation several times to correct its teachings, but it was not ready to do so.

“As I had no other option, I took this decision,” the man contended.

IED used for blast

Earlier, State Police Chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that according to preliminary probe, an improvised explosive device (IED) was used to carry out the blasts.

The blasts occurred at an international convention centre in Kalamassery where hundreds of followers of Jehovah’s Witnesses had assembled on the concluding day of their three-day-long prayer meeting.

Jehovah’s Witnesses is a Christian religious group that originated in the USA in the 19th century.

“This morning, at 9.40 am approximately, there was an explosion in Zamrah International Convention Centre in Kalamassery in which one person died and 36 people are undergoing treatment as per our information,” the DGP said earlier in the day.

“We are examining it,” he said, adding that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be constituted once he reaches the site.

A police source told PTI that there were three blasts, of which two were strong and the third was of low intensity.

On being asked whether tiffin boxes were used for packing the explosives, as claimed in some news reports, the source said it cannot be confirmed at this stage, as the blast site was being examined by multiple agencies, including the state anti-terrorism squad and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

DGP appeals for calm

The DGP, however, refused to comment at this stage, saying he could confirm whether it was a terror act only after further investigation.

“Only after the investigation can I confirm the details. We are examining all the angles. We will find out who is behind this and take stringent action against them,” the top police official said.

He also urged people to maintain peace and remain calm and asked them not to spread provocative or hateful messages on social media.

The spreading of provocative or hateful messages on social media would invite strict action, he warned.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan termed the incident “shocking” and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said it was “extremely unfortunate”.

“Shocked to hear about the blast at a religious gathering at #Kalamassery, Ernakulam district, Kerala, killing one person and injuring over 20. Heartfelt condolences to the kin of the deceased and prayers for speedy recovery of the injured,” the Governor posted on social media platform X.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Vijayan said, “It is an unfortunate incident. One person died, and two others are in serious condition. An investigation has been launched, and further details will be available later. The incident is being viewed very seriously.” The CM also convened an all-party meeting on Monday in the wake of the blasts at the convention centre.

CPI(M) State Secretary MV Govindan, who is in Delhi along with Vijayan for some party programmes, said any terrible actions aimed at diverting attention from the Palestine issue would entail strict action.

“When Kerala stands united with the people of Palestine, any terrible action to divert attention from it will entail strict action. The government and all democratic persons will together condemn it,” he said.

Govindan also said upon viewing the incident politically in the prevailing situation, it appears to be part of a terror act. “That needs to be examined seriously,” he said.

Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan said no one, including the media, should take any steps or circulate information based on misconceptions about the incident.

Witnesses recount horror

Eyewitnesses recounted the terrifying moments following the blasts which occurred minutes after attendees began praying with their eyes closed.

Recounting her shocking experience, an elderly woman said, “When I opened my eyes after hearing the first blast, all I saw was a fireball in front of me. Nothing...nothing more...just a fireball. Everybody ran, scattered here and there. It was a sprawling hall, and a large number of people were inside.”

Among the distressed crowd at the venue were senior citizens, including women, who had participated in the morning prayers.

A man in his 70s, his voice trembling, described the shock of witnessing a blast in the midst of the densely populated prayer convention. In all his years of attending the convention, he said, he had never witnessed anything like this before.

Visuals of the incident on TV channels showed fire rescue and police personnel in large numbers evacuating the site.

Disturbing visuals of the situation inside the convention centre shortly after the blasts 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 fire as the hall was littered with scattered and broken chairs, many of which were ablaze.

Following the blasts, police and district administrations across the state were put on alert.

(With inputs by Rajeev Ramachandran and agencies)