The unregulated use of a dangerous explosive is the root cause of the Puttingal tragedy
Investigations by the Kerala police into the April 9 Puttingal temple tragedy that killed 114 persons have zeroed in on the use of a banned explosive, potassium chlorate, as the prime reason for the magnitude of the tragedy. “The pyrotechnic workers we arrested admitted to using the chemical to enhance the sound and colours of the firecrackers,” S. Sreejith, Inspector General of Police, Kerala Crime Branch, told INDIA TODAY. The workers stockpiled nearly one tonne of the white, volatile powder in a godown on the premises of the 500-year-old temple in Kollam district, with catastrophic consequences.
Over 350 people were injured in the blast which took place after a stray rocket from the display hit the godown barely 15 metres from the temple yard. The highly volatile chemical stockpile exploded, showering lethal shrapnel all over. In one instance killing a motorcyclist over a kilometre away. Only 11 people died of burn injuries, investigators say. The rest were killed by the shockwave of the blast or crushed by the lethal debris—concrete beams and building material.
Denne historien er fra May 02, 2016-utgaven av India Today.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 02, 2016-utgaven av India Today.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Killer Stress
Unhealthy work practices in Indian companies are taking a toll on employees, triggering health issues and sometimes even death
Shuttle Star
Ashwini Ponnappa was the only Indian to compete in the inaugural edition of BDMNTN-XL, a new international badminton tourney with a new format, held in Indonesia
There's No Planet B
All Living Things-Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) returns with 72 films to be screened across multiple locations from Nov. 22 to Dec. 8
AMPED UP AND UNPLUGGED
THE MAHINDRA INDEPENDENCE ROCK FESTIVAL PROMISES AN INTERESTING LINE-UP OF OLD AND NEW ACTS, CEMENTING ITS REPUTATION AS THE 'WOODSTOCK OF INDIA'
A Musical Marriage
Faezeh Jalali has returned to the Prithvi Theatre Festival with Runaway Brides, a hilarious musical about Indian weddings
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
Nikhil Advani’s adaptation of Freedom at Midnight details our tumultuous transition to an independent nation
Family Saga
RAMONA SEN's The Lady on the Horse doesn't lose its pace while narrating the story of five generations of a family in Calcutta
THE ETERNAL MOTHER
Prayaag Akbar's new novel delves into the complexities of contemporary India
TURNING A NEW LEAF
Since the turn of the century, we have lost hundreds of thousands of trees. Many had stood for centuries, weathering storms, wars, droughts and famines.
INDIA'S BEATING GREEN HEART
Ramachandra Guha's new book-Speaking with Nature-is a chronicle of homegrown environmentalism that speaks to the world
