Kochi: One person died and over 20 were injured in a blast at a convention centre of a Christian religion group in Kalamassery here on Sunday morning, police said.
TA Sreekumar, regional spokesperson, Jehovah's Witnesses said that three explosions took place inside the convention hall at around 9:45 a.m.
"The explosion occurred seconds after the end of a prayer as part of the day's event. The first blast took place in the middle of the hall. Seconds later, two more explosions rocked simultaneously on either sides of the hall," said TA Sreekumar.
An officer of Kalamassery police said the cause of the blast or whether there was more than one was not confirmed. State Industries Minister P Rajeev said the blast site is cordoned off and police and fire rescue have been pressed into service.
Rajeev said that reportedly few of the injured have suffered serious burns. He said that all medical aid and facilities are available at the Kalamassery Medical College and if required, the injured can be shifted to other hospitals.
The minster said that information about the nature of the blast or if anyone was behind it was not known presently.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George urged government healthcare professionals to report for duty in the wake of the blast.
Another person present at the centre said there were over 2,000 people inside the hall when the incident occurred. According to Police, a call was received around 9 am about the blast, seeking police assistance.
Visuals of the incident on TV channels showed fire rescue and police personnel in large numbers evacuating people from the site. Disturbing visuals of the blast inside the convention centre showed multiple fires inside the hall as people and children were heard screaming in fear.
The video also showed some people trying to quell the fires as the hall was littered with scattered and damaged chairs. Hundreds of people were seen outside the convention centre post the explosion.
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