Many of those warded in hospitals were in critical condition. Modi, who visited the disaster-hit Puttingal Devi temple in Peravur town here, suggested that they could be flown to Mumbai or New Delhi for treatment.
Only two of the dead were women, police sources told IANS.
"The tragedy is unimaginable and dreadful," a sombre Modi said in Thiruvananthapuram just before taking a flight to Delhi. He announced Rs.2 lakh as compensation to families of each of the dead.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy announced a compensation of Rs.10 lakh to families of the dead, Rs.2 lakh each to the seriously injured and Rs.50,000 to those with minor injuries.
He also ordered a judicial probe and a simultaneous investigation by the Crime Branch of Kerala Police to determine how the fireworks show ended up raining death.
Dazed survivors said the disaster happened when stacks of explosives stored in a building a little away from the 100-year-old temple exploded, apparently after a spark from a firecracker landed on its roof.
The incident occurred just after 3 a.m. amid a dazzling and deafening fireworks display even after the local authorities had declined permission for it. The celebrations had begun the previous night.
K. Jayakumar, a travel agent, explained how the disaster struck.
"A fireball engulfed the entire area right before my eyes," he told the media. "A concrete slab came flying my way and hit the person sitting next to me. He died on the spot."
The impact of the explosion brought down the building where the crackers had been stored, trapping many.
Chunks of concrete flew at great speed, killing unsuspecting devotees who had gathered in thousands.
Lallu S. Pillai, a journalist who was on the terrace of a nearby house, told IANS that many died within minutes.
Once the building came crashing down, "we felt the place shake", he said. "After that it was absolute chaos."
Other devotees said people, frightened by the explosions, started to run, at times tripping over one another.
Several houses in a half-kilometre radius were damaged.
Prakashan, who lives near the temple, said he had been complaining for years against the fireworks display but was ignored.
Temple officials fled the spot after the tragedy. IANS tried to reach some of them on their mobile phones but they were switched off.
Police arrested five men linked to a father-and-son contractor pair who were responsible for the fireworks show.
The father himself was in a serious condition in a hospital while the son had suffered 50 percent burn injuries.
For hours after the tragedy, charred bodies and human remains lay scattered in the temple complex. Authorities then began clearing the heaps of debris.
Amid the election fever in Kerala, Chief Minister Chandy held an emergency cabinet meeting in Kollam. He said the incident "should open the eyes of all of us" vis-a-vis temple celebrations.
He said the government would bear the expenses of the injured.
Spiritual guru Mata Amritanandamayi Devi called for a ban on the use of firecrackers in temples or at least their minimum use, that too under careful supervision.
At the Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram, about 60 km away, 124 people were admitted, mostly with broken bones in their hands and legs. A few had burn injuries, indicating fire was not the only cause of death.
Within hours, the army, air force and the navy joined in rescue operations and to provide medical treatment. Ships sailed from Kochi while helicopters flew in from Tamil Nadu as well.
Making a brief statement at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, Modi said he was deeply grieved. "We stand by Kerala's grief and we will do everything we can to bring down the misery."
After spending about 10 minutes walking around the temple complex, Modi and Chandy drove to the Kollam district hospital where 185 of the injured are undergoing treatment.
All political parties on Sunday cancelled their election meetings as a mark of respect for the dead.
Kerala Fire Live Updates:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured Centre's help to victims
- Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi reaches Kollam to take stock of the situation
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches Kollam for on-the-spot assessment of temple fire tragedy.
- Kerala CM announces ex-gratia relief of Rs 10 lakh to kin of each of those killed in fire tragedy, Rs 2 lakh for seriously injured.
- Judicial probe ordered into temple fire tragedy, says Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy.
- Pakistan expresses condolences on Indian temple tragedy.
- "The people and the government of Pakistan express their deep condolences on the loss of precious lives, resulting from fire breakout in the temple in South Kerala, India. Our sympathies are with the bereaved families. We wish early recovery to all injured people," said a press release of Govt of Pakistan.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for Kollam, Kerala from Delhi.
- Rahul Gandhi to visit Puttingal temple in Kollam today, meet injured. (ANI)
- PM Modi asked for mobilization of Air Force and Navy assets in the area to assist in rescue and relief.
- PM announces Rs 2 Lakh each as compensation to the next kin the dead; Rs 50,000 to those injured.
- Case registered against temple authorities and explosive licensees in Kollam temple mishap.
- PM has instructed that no official welcome protocols should be followed on his arrival. (ANI)
- My prayers are with the families of those who've lost loved ones in this terrible tragedy. Spoke to CM Oommen Chandi ji to ensure that adequate relief, medical care and assistance is being provided to the injured at the earliest: Rahul Gandhi
- Death toll in Kollam temple fire rises to 102
- Rescue operations by Air Force underway. 4 helicopters are being used.
- Injured toll in Kerala Temple fire rises to 350; eighty six dead.
Fire at temple in Kollam is heart-rending & shocking beyond words. My thoughts are with families of the deceased & prayers with the injured. I will be reaching Kerala soon to take stock of the situation arising due to the unfortunate fire tragedy in Kollam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The news of major fire at Puttingal temple in Kollam is deeply distressing. Extremely pained over the loss of lives in the accident. My heartfelt condolences to the families of those who died in Kollam accident. My prayers are with the injured: Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister
- We are providing all possible support to the injured people, says VS Sivakumar, Kerala Health Minister.
- Death toll in Kerala temple fire rises to 86
- Death toll in fire at temple in Kollam rises to 84.
- As the temple festival was on, fireworks display had commenced at the temple precincts since midnight and hundreds of people had gathered to watch the show.
- "The normal practice is to store the high potency crackers in the building and from there it's taken to the place where their is light. A spark from a live cracker landed in the building that stored these massive crackers," Kunjumon, a local believer, said. (IANS)
- Senior police officials have reached the spot and the fire has been brought under control. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is also on his way.
- Eyewitness said that the fireworks display started close to midnight and when nearing its close, a spark from a cracker landed in a building that had stored some high potency crackers and it caught fire causing a massive explosion.
- Fire broke out after mid-might at around 3 am on Sunday.
- Death toll in Puttingal temple fire in Kollam (Kerala) has risen to 75, over 200 injured
As the fireworks and pyrotechnics display was coming to a close at 3 AM, an explosion is suspected to have occurred at the storeroom 'Kambapuram' filled with crackers and pyrotechnics materials, police said.
Men, women and police officials are among the dead, they said.
Those injured have been rushed to Trivandrum Medical College in the state capital and five persons died after being brought there.
(More updates to follow)