A group of Gozitan visitors had a narrow escape on Tuesday when the fireworks factory they were touring was destroyed by a series of explosions that left at least 13 people dead and several others critically injured in Kerala, India. The blast occurred at around 3:30 p.m. local time at a firecracker manufacturing and storage unit near Thrissur, where approximately 40 workers were assembling pyrotechnics for the upcoming Thrissur Pooram temple festival, one of the largest Hindu festivals in Asia. According to local media, the Gozitan group had been invited into the facility earlier in the day to view preparations, and television crews and social media creators were also present on site hours before the tragedy. Witnesses described continuous explosions followed by a vast cloud of smoke that engulfed the rural field where the shed stood, with the fire spreading rapidly through stored gunpowder and finished products.
Rescue operations were hampered by narrow access roads and secondary explosions that kept detonating as firefighters tried to reach the site. An earthmover from a neighboring field was eventually used to clear a path wide enough for fire engines and ambulances, but emergency crews said it took nearly an hour and a half to bring the blaze under control. Five of the injured were admitted to critical care with burns covering over 70% of their bodies, while 17 others sustained minor injuries. Kerala’s Revenue Minister K Rajan called the incident “very sad” and “shocking,” confirming that all units preparing for Thrissur Pooram had official permission to manufacture and store firecrackers in designated areas.
The Gozitan group managed to evacuate moments before the main blast, with no serious injuries reported among them, though they were described as shaken by the experience. Authorities have not yet determined the exact cause, but police are investigating whether friction during the chemical filling process or unsafe storage of explosives triggered the initial detonation. The tragedy came just three days after another fireworks factory explosion in neighboring Tamil Nadu killed 25 people, raising renewed concerns about safety standards, worker conditions, and the proximity of such units to residential areas and schools. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan placed the government machinery on high alert, ordered specialist medical care for the injured, and directed the Health, Fire and Rescue, and Disaster Management departments to coordinate relief. For the Gozitan visitors, what began as a cultural visit ended in a fortunate escape from a disaster that claimed multiple lives and highlighted the persistent dangers of India’s fireworks industry.
