Three cars with explosives seized near Kerala temple

Kollam, Apr 12: A day after the fireworks tragedy at the Puttingal Devi temple in Paravur, the death toll rose to 109, even as the police seized three cars laden with explosives about 500 metres from the shrine on Monday.

City Police Commissioner P. Prakash said the cars, found parked near the temple, came to the notice of the local people late on Sunday. They alerted the police.

On Monday morning, the police cordoned off the area and examined the cars, which were found packed with explosives, some of which were of high intensity.

Since the State police did not have the expertise to defuse them, the task has been assigned to experts of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation camping at Paravur for the investigation into Sunday's explosions.

Mr. Prakash said two of the cars carried Kollam registration numbers and one Thiruvananthapuram. Their ownership was being verified with the Transport Department.

Meanwhile, three more persons succumbed to burns on Monday. Among the dead, 14 bodies are yet to be identified.

A total of 879 people were injured and 305 of them were under treatment in various hospitals, an official statement issued by the office of the Health Minister said. There are 61 persons being treated at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital (MCH), 30 at Kollam District Hospital and the rest in various private sector hospitals in both districts.

Union Minister for Health J.P. Nadda visited the MCH on Monday and reviewed the facilities there.

Meanwhile, five persons from the Devaswom committee were arrested by sleuths of the Crime Branch CID from their hideout late in the night. The arrests of P.S. Jayapal, Krishnankutty Pillai, Surendran Pillai, Raveendran Pillai and J. Prasad were made with the assistance of the local police following a tip-off, the City Police Commissioner said.

The Crime Branch CID, which took over the investigation from the Paravur police, had registered cases under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of the Explosives Act (unlawfully and maliciously causing explosion that endangers life and property).