Kerala Blast Death Toll Rises To 2, 12-Yr-Old Among 5 Critical Patients. ADGP-Led Team To Probe Case — Updates

Kerala Blast: Multiple explosions during a Christian prayer meeting in Kochi have left two people dead and over 45 individuals injured.

People rush to save themselves after a blast at a convention centre in Kalamassery, in Ernakulam district, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. | Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during a press briefing.

Source : PTI | ANI

Tragedy struck a Christian prayer meeting in Kalamassery, Kochi, on Sunday morning, as multiple explosions rocked the religious gathering. The incident, which has left two people dead and over 45 individuals injured, has sent shockwaves through the community. State Health Minister confirmed that another woman, who had sustained 90 per cent burns in the explosions, has succumbed to her injuries, news agency PTI reported. This brings the toll from the incident to two fatalities, according to the Public Relation Department of Kerala.

• An individual, self-identified as Dominic Martin and claiming to be a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses religious group, took responsibility for the multiple explosions. In a disturbing turn of events, Martin released a video message on a social media platform, which was subsequently aired by various TV channels, as reported by news agency PTI. The video message has sent shockwaves through the community and the nation at large. More On It: Carried Out Kerala Blast Due To Group's 'Seditious Teachings', Man Claims In Video Before Surrender
  
  
• Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan provided an update on the medical situation, informing that 41 people are hospitalised. He revealed that 27 people were admitted to Ernakulam Medical College and five were critical.
  
  “A special team led by ADGP Law and Order will be investigating this incident...20 members will be in the investigating team. An all-party-meeting has been called for tomorrow,” he said, as per news agency ANI.
  
  
  
  
  Earlier, Kerala Health Minister Veena George informed about the formation of a 14-member medical board to monitor the evolving situation. She revealed that a 12-year-old girl with 95% burns is among the critical patients.
  
  
• State Police Chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb informed reporters that, based on preliminary findings, an improvised explosive device (IED) was used to carry out the explosions. He stated that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) would be constituted once he reaches the site, PTI reported.
  
  
• While the exact nature and motive behind the blasts remain under investigation, sources told PTI that there were three explosions, with two being of significant intensity and a third of lower intensity. The use of tiffin boxes to pack the explosives, as reported by some news outlets, remains unconfirmed as multiple agencies, including the state anti-terrorism squad and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), examined the blast site.
  
  While concerns about a potential terror act linger, State Police Chief Saheb refrained from drawing any conclusions at this stage, emphasizing that further investigation is needed.
  
  
• Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan expressed his horror at the tragedy, labeling it "absolutely unacceptable in the rule of law society, in a democracy." He strongly condemned the use of the blast to disrupt the congregation and called for swift action by law and order enforcement agencies to prevent any repetition of such incidents in the future.
  
  
  
  
  
• Kerala BJP chief K Surendran called for a "free and fair investigation" involving both state and central agencies, urging transparency and accountability. He also referred to a past bomb blast incident in Kalamassery and blamed the police for security lapse in the fresh incident.
  
  
  
  
  
• Former Congress president and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi took to social media, expressing his deep distress and condemnation of the bombings. He called for a thorough investigation by the government to bring the culprits to justice.
  
  
  
  
  
• Kerala Minister P Rajeev stressed that the police are actively conducting the investigation and urged caution against spreading unverified information on social media. "Everyone must refrain from fake social media campaigns…Kerala always faces such situations with unity," he said, as per ANI.

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