Kollam temple fire: Probe panel blames cops, govt | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Kollam temple fire: Probe panel blames cops, govt

Kochi | ByPress Trust of India
Dec 25, 2019 09:16 AM IST

The Justice PS Gopinathan Commission, which is probing the 2016 mishap involving fireworks at a temple in Kollam district, has found lapses on the part of the police and the district administration. In one of the worst temple tragedies in Kerala, 110 people died and more than 300 were injured during an explosion caused due to an unauthorised display of fireworks on the Puttingal temple precincts in the early hours of April 10, 2016.

The Justice PS Gopinathan Commission, which is probing the 2016 mishap involving fireworks at a temple in Kollam district, has found lapses on the part of the police and the district administration.

People look at the damaged structure after a massive fire broke out during a fireworks display at the Puttingal temple complex in Paravoor village, Kollam district in 2016.(PTI/ File Photo)
People look at the damaged structure after a massive fire broke out during a fireworks display at the Puttingal temple complex in Paravoor village, Kollam district in 2016.(PTI/ File Photo)

In one of the worst temple tragedies in Kerala, 110 people died and more than 300 were injured during an explosion caused due to an unauthorised display of fireworks on the Puttingal temple precincts in the early hours of April 10, 2016.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

“What happened that day was the denouncement of a criminal and disregard for law and public safety that had fossilised over the years; for which responsibility rests equally on the shoulders of the organising committee, the fireworks contractors, as well as on all the authorities involved,” the judicial panel said in its report submitted to the government in July this year. “The mishap was a tragedy waiting to happen, one that was in the making over the past so many years, right under the watch of the keepers of the law,” the report added.

Had the district collector and the additional district magistrate “conveyed their refusal to permit” the display of fireworks, the display would not have occurred, it said.

“A detailed inquiry into the tragedy at Puttingal has revealed that it was the result of coming together of a lot of diverse causative factors, including the adamant stance of the temple committee to have a massive fireworks display without ensuring minimum safety standards...,” according to the report.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On