Thrissur

V D Satheesan on Wednesday called for a judicial inquiry into possible lapses in safety arrangements after an explosion at a fireworks storage facility in Mundathikode claimed at least 13 lives.

Speaking to the media after visiting the accident site along with Ramesh Chennithala, Satheesan described the incident as extremely serious and said accountability must be fixed. He said any shortcomings in safety measures should be examined by an independent judicial authority and stressed that such tragedies must not be repeated.

He also urged the Kerala government to extend all possible assistance to affected families and those injured in the blast.

Meanwhile, Ravada A Chandrasekhar said five bodies had been handed over to relatives, while identification of some victims was still pending. He added that 18 teams, including forensic experts and investigators, had been formed under the leadership of the ACP Crime Branch in Thrissur to determine the cause of the explosion.

Police said investigators would examine the chemicals stored at the site and record statements from survivors as part of the probe.

Earlier, the cabinet led by Pinarayi Vijayan announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 14 lakh for the families of those killed. This includes Rs 4 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund and Rs 10 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.

The injured will receive eligible compensation under disaster relief norms along with an additional Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. The government also said treatment costs for injured victims would be covered for six months in both government and private hospitals.

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A judicial inquiry has already been announced, with a single-member commission headed by Justice C N Ramachandran Nair set to investigate the explosion.