‘All I saw was a fireball’: Witnesses recount horror of Kerala convention centre blast

Amid the chaos that followed the explosion at their prayer convention in Kalamassery, eyewitnesses recounted the terrifying moments that left the venue in a state of shock and grief in Kochi.

Outside the convention centre where hundreds had gathered, faces were etched with anxiety and tears. Inside, amidst the gloom and mystery that enveloped the site, police officers and firefighters searched for injured attendees.

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 here and there. It was a sprawling hall, and a large number of people were inside.”

One woman died and many were injured in the explosion at the convention centre on Sunday (October 29) morning during a gathering of the Jehovah's Witnesses, a Christian religious group that originated in the US in the 19th century. Among the distressed crowd at the venue were senior citizens, including women who had actively participated in the morning prayers.

According to Kerala Health Minister Veena George, in all, 52 people sought treatment after the blast. Of them, 18 had to be hospitalised. Two of them are on life support and six in the ICU.

One detained

According to sources, one person has been detained in connection with the bomb blast. He reportedly confessed to carrying out the bombing after surrendering at Kodakara Police Station, around 45 km from the site of the incident. The police are currently interrogating him and have not revealed any details about his connection to the blast as of now.

ADGP MR Ajithkumar told the media that it’s too early to jump to conclusions as the investigations are in preliminary stage. He said the person killed in the blast died due to burn injuries caused by the explosion. He revealed that the man who surrendered has been identified as Dominic Martin from Thammanam Kochi. He is a disgruntled former member of the Jehovah's Witnesses sect.

Martin also claimed responsibility for the bombing in a Facebook Live video before surrender. He has been shifted from Thrissur, where he surrendered, to the Police Club of Aluva for further questioning. According to police sources, they have obtained evidences regarding his connection to the blast from his mobile phone. They have also traced his internet activities related to bomb making and practice. Police sources said Martin also recorded a video of himself planting the IED and remotely triggering it using a control device.

“He has presented some evidences to support his claim. He is being interrogated in detail. He is a follower of this particular sect. We need to investigate these in detail,” said the ADGP.

He is currently being interrogated in the presence of senior officials including two ADGPs at Kalamassery police station. The police want to make sure whether he got any help from someone else in assembling the IED even though he claims that he learned it online.

There were three low-intensity IED blasts in a series, suggests preliminary probe. Police are also conducting searches at railway stations and airports. Security has also been beefed up at important places.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has convened an all-party meeting at the secretariat conference hall at 10 am on Monday.

‘Saw only fire around’

A man in his 70s, his voice trembling, described the shock of witnessing a blast amid the largely attended prayer convention. “I was standing at the side of the hall, praying with my eyes closed. Suddenly, a shocking blast was heard from nearby. I saw only fire around and ran to the door along with others,” he said, wiping away tears.

In all his years of attending the convention the attendee had never witnessed anything like this before, he said. Another woman, her hands placed on her forehead, struggled to find the strength to recall the events during the prayers. “There were several elderly people and children among the participants,” she said, her voice quivering with emotion.

The eyewitness accounts depicted a horrifying scene. The convention centre, previously known for hosting weddings, turned into a site of tragedy and horror on Sunday morning. Many local residents were unaware that a prayer convention was being held there. While eyewitnesses recounted a series of explosions, after preliminary investigation police officials maintained that there was a single blast.

IED caused blast: DGP

Kerala DGP Shaik Darvesh Saheb said the blast was caused due to an improvised explosive device (IED).

“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.

However, there were conflicting reports about the number of blasts as state ministers VN Vasavan and Antony Raju said there were two blasts, while Congress MP from Ernakulam, Hibi Eden, said there were multiple blasts according to one of his friends who attended the convention. “What they have told us is that there were two blasts according to the initial findings,” the ministers said.

On being asked whether it was a terror attack, the DGP said he cannot say anything at this stage. “Only after the investigation can I confirm the details. We are examining all the angles. We will find out who is behind this and will 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 hate messages on social media. Spreading of provocative or hate messages on social media would invite strict action, he warned.

The DGP also said that as soon as he reaches the blast site, a Special Investigative Team (SIT) will be constituted.

NIA at blast scene

Vasavan and Raju told media that many central agencies, including the NIA, were present at the scene.

They also said that the incident occurred at around 9.38 am on the last day of the convention and there were around 2,300 people present there at that time.

The ministers, including state Revenue Minister K Rajan, said that the people were praying with their eyes closed when the blast occurred. They said that people came from various parts of the state for the convention.

(With inputs from Rajeev Ramachandran and agencies)