Kerala: Two person killed, 52 injured as multiple blasts rock prayer meet in Kochi

Kochi: In a new update, the death toll in the blasts at a prayer meeting in Kalamassery near Kochi has risen to two. A 53-year-old woman, who had been undergoing treatment at Kalamassery succumbed to her injuries.

On Sunday morning Kochi was rocked by three huge explosions during a religious convention of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian group, at Kalamassery. In the morning the casualties reported was one person killed and 23 injured. The condition of five persons was stated to be critical.

The incident took place at 9.45 am when more than 2,400 people including women and children were attending the convention. Three explosions took place one after the other soon after the devotees began singing a religious hymn as part of the prayer service.

The identity of the dead person is yet to be ascertained. Most of the critically injured people have sustained serious burns and they have been rushed to the nearby government and private hospitals. The Kerala police has sounded a high alert across all 14 districts following the explosions in Kochi.

The police and intelligence agencies are keeping a close watch and are not ready to rule out any possibility, especially in the backdrop of the developments taking place in connection with the Palestine - Israel conflict.

NIA team is expected to arrive in Kochi for further investigation after getting the preliminary report from the Kerala police.

The police said it was not clear what caused the explosion. A high-level police team including forensic experts and members of the anti-terror squad have reached the spot. The blast took place on the last day of the three-day regional convention.

Eyewitnesses said that everyone was standing with their eyes closed as it was the time for prayer. People from many places like Varapuzha, Angamaly and Edappally had come for the convention.

Soon after the explosions, several fire tenders were rushed to the spot from the adjoining fire stations. Bomb disposal squads were also at the spot. While the entire area was sealed, ambulances were rushed to the spot to shift the injured to the hospitals.

Chief Minister Pinarauyi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram said that the state government considered explosions as a grave incident. The top officers of the Kerala police have already reached the spot and the matter will be investigated in detail. He said the help of the central agencies would also be sought.

Vijayan said the cause of the blast is not yet known as the investigations were going on. He said the priority was to provide the best treatment to the injured.

Industry Minister P Rajeev said the state government has taken all measures to provide treatment to the injured. He said the cause of the incident would be known only after a detailed inquiry by the appropriate investigation agencies.

Health Minister Veena George has instructed the director of health services and director of medical education to provide the best treatment to the victims of the explosion in Kalamassery. A team of burn specialists has been rushed from Kottayam medical college to provide specialist treatment to the injured.

All hospitals and blood banks have been put on alert. Doctors, paramedics and nursing staff who are on leave in Ernakulam district have been asked to report back immediately in the wake of the emergency.

Additional facilities will be provided at Kalamassery Medical College, Ernakulam General Hospital and Kottayam Medical College. The services of additional employees will also be provided. The minister also directed to provide facilities in other hospitals in the district.

Meanwhile, Shashi Tharoor MP expressed shock over the blasts and sought immediate police action. "To see my state falling prey to the mentality of killing and destruction is tragic. I urge all religious leaders to unite in condemning such barbarism & teaching their followers that violence achieves nothing but more violence," he wrote on X.

Following the explosion, teams of counter-terror sleuths and National Security Guards (NSG) rushed to the Jehovah Witnesses Church in Kalamassery in Kerala.