Puttingal Devi temple fire accused, 14-year-old boy succumb to injuries; toll rises to 112

Thiruvananthapuram: In the latest development in Kerala temple fire incident, the toll rose to 112 with three more persons, including a fireworks contractor, who is also one of the accused in the case, succumbing to their injuries at the Medical College Hospital here on Tuesday.

The deceased fireworks contractor was identified as Surendran (67) against whom police had lodged an FIR relating to the case. He had suffered 60 percent burns in the accident, police said.

Another deceased was Sathyan (55) also from Kazhakuttom. He had suffered 90 percent burns.

The third casualty was a teenager named Sabari. All of them were undergoing treatment at the Medical College Hospital here after being injured during the fireworks explosions.

The condition of another four people and 20 others at various hospitals in Kollam here continue to be serious.

The accident at the century-old Puttingal Devi Temple complex had occurred during a competitive display of fireworks on early Sunday morning after a spark from a firecracker fell on the storehouse containing crackers, triggering explosion.

13 persons, including seven members of the Puttingal temple managing committee, were earlier arrested in connection with the tragedy.

Taking a swift action in order to ensure that such kind of incidents does not get repeated in future, a high-decibel fireworks in the night was from today banned in places of worship across Kerala.

Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama donated Rs 10 lakh to be used for relef and rehabilitation of those affected by the devastating fire.

The Nobel laureate Tibetan Buddhist leader made the donation to the Kerala Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund after Sunday's fire at the Puttingal Devi temple in the coastal town of Paravur. Over 350 people have been injured in the fire.