On Tuesday evening around five, a massive explosion ripped through suburban Varapuzha near Ernakulam. The blast burnt one alive, severely injured several (including children), and damaged numerous nearby buildings.
Locals living 5 km away from the blast center felt the aftershock. Panchayat President Rani Joseph said residents ran out of their homes, suspecting an earthquake. A loud boom was followed by unbearable heat that lingered for quite some time.
Erayil Davis (50) was allegedly killed and charred beyond recognition in the blast. The illegal explosives manufacturing unit was run by two siblings Erayil Jackson and his brother Jansen (38). Both brothers, their neighbors Fredina (30), and K J Mathai (69), and a few children were hospitalized.
Three children were injured, and at least four wounded are in critical condition. Several neighbors were also shifted to the hospital after they suffered injuries from broken glass. The intense heat burnt coconut tree crowns.
Ernakulam District collector Renu Raj IAS said a ‘fire cracker’ unit operated from the building without government licenses. News 18 alleged that the unit was active for the past 40 years. Tons of explosives were handled, assembled, and stored inside the facility. Allegedly, such units in the middle of heavily populated areas are grave security risks.
The Collector said the ill-fated explosives manufacturing factory operated illegally and had no license to manufacture, store, or sell firecrackers. She added that some people spread rumors that the facility had a right to sell, but this is wrong. The Collector sought a report from the Tehsildar on the incident. Later reports suggested the firm did have a license to sell fireworks.
Malayala Manorama claimed the Fireworks Dealer had a trade license to deal in explosives. The Collector tried her best to avoid a direct answer as to why such a massive explosion happened inside a residential area. The blast occurred at Muttinakam near Varapuzha, where the coastal National Highway 66 enters Ernakulam city.
The area is thickly populated, and the neighbors would have noticed something fishy in the building but preferred to remain silent. It is suspected that most locals knew that it was manufacturing firecrackers. Around fifteen houses in the immediate vicinity suffered structural damage.
The whole concrete building where explosives were stored collapsed in the blast. Explosions continued from the debris even as ten Fire and Rescue units tried to control the resulting fires. What ‘pyrotechnic devices’ were stored and destroyed remains unclear. Local media suppressed the news.
Vedi Vazhipad
Gunpowder is filled in small, sturdy iron barrels with a 10-inch horizontal hole. The attached fuses are ignited using a flame. It is burst thrice a day during Deeparadhana (Arathi) times, and the sound is heard around three to four kilometers around the temple. Hindu devotees sponsor Vedi Vazhipad to appease their favorite Devis and Bhagwans.
Some individuals habitually store and manufacture firecrackers they sell during Hindu festivals like Deepavali and Vishu. Others illegally stockpile gunpowder used for the ‘Kathina Vedi or Vedi Vazhipadu’ used in Devi and Shiva temples. They control the supply of potassium nitrate to manufacture firecrackers.
This is a lucrative trade for the mafia. Church celebrations, too, involve the use of firecrackers.
Gunpowder can turn fatal once it exceeds a certain weight. Fist-sized explosives packed in palm leaves can produce deadly blasts. Some are used to maim animals, leaving them unable to swallow food until they die excruciatingly. Such explosives are cruelly packed in fruits like pineapple and coconuts that elephants consume and die. The ensuing blast rips out the jaw and tongue of even adult elephants.
Political parties, especially in Kannur, stock these crude bombs and use them at will to eliminate political and business opponents. Hence the term Kannur’s Bomb Politics.
Wild boar are now shot dead by state-sponsored well-armed local ‘farmers.’ This has allegedly led to an increase in tiger and leopard attacks on man. Some high rangers are unhappy and want a permanent solution to the wild animal ‘menace,’ a total wipeout. Wild boars are protected under Schedule III of the Wildlife Protections act, and killing or capturing them is prohibited.
A mafia that operates without licenses and does not pay taxes has taken over the explosives trade. They have created security lapses and eliminated honest traders. ‘Secularism’ makes the administration turn a blind eye to this illegal trade. When run unmonitored, this business can be used for sabotage and easily blamed on the Hindus whenever a mishap occurs.
