Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 22 (PTI) Former Kerala High Court judge Justice C N Ramachandran Nair, who will head the judicial probe into the blast at a fireworks manufacturing unit at Mundathicode in Thrissur district, said on Wednesday that there will be no recommendation for a ban on firecrackers, but a change in their pattern may be suggested.
The state government, in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan earlier in the day, decided to appoint a one-member commission headed by Justice Nair to conduct a judicial probe into the incident in which 14 persons are suspected to have died.
Subsequently, speaking to reporters, Justice Nair said a detailed inquiry can be undertaken only after receiving the terms of reference from the government.
He said the government’s intention in setting up the commission is to ensure that such a disaster does not recur in the future.
“Many people died in the Thrissur fireworks blast, and we hope such an incident never happens again,” he said.
Justice Nair added that fireworks contribute to the vibrancy of temple festivals and are used worldwide.
Referring to practices in China, he noted that the focus there is more on visual effects rather than loud explosions.
“Therefore, it may be possible to modify the pattern of fireworks. We will examine this and provide recommendations. However, this commission is not intended to recommend a prohibition on fireworks, which attract people and make festivals vibrant. Hence, it would not be appropriate to ban or completely stop them,” he told reporters.
Around 40 people were suspected to have been present in the sheds at the time of the explosion, which occurred at a fireworks unit preparing crackers on behalf of a temple devaswom ahead of the upcoming Thrissur Pooram on April 26.
According to residents, the explosion occurred at around 3.30 pm, and intermittent blasts continued in the area, hampering rescue efforts.
Firecrackers were being manufactured in multiple temporary sheds located in an isolated area amid paddy fields. PTI HMP SSK
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