At least 113 people have been killed in the fire tragedy at the 100-year-old Puttingal Devi Temple complex.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday attempted to downplay reports suggesting that the state's Director General of Police (DGP) had objected to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Puttingal Devi Temple on the same day when the tragedy took place, saying the visit of national leaders provided relief to the people during the disaster.
Chandy said Prime Minister Modi came to the spot and expressed his grief, adding that it was a great relief for the people at that point of time.
The Chief Minister's remarks came after state DGP TP Senkumar's reported statement that he had objected to the visits of Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi to Kollam, hours after the deadly explosion at the Paravoor Puttingal Devi temple last Sunday.
"Apart from the Prime Minister, national leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury...they all came. That was a big relief for people of Kerala. This was a big disaster and at that hour, their presence and their advice and help were a great thing for Kerala," Chandy told reporters when asked about the top cop's comment about VVIP visits to the site on the very day of the temple tragedy.
At least 113 people have been killed and scores injured after a huge stock of firecrackers went up in flames in Puttingal Devi Temple premises early on Sunday morning.
With one more person succumbing to injuries tonight, the toll in the Puttingal Devi temple tragedy has gone up to 113.
The latest victim was 40-year-old Manikandan from Kollam who died at the Trivandrum Medical College Hospital, hospital sources said. Earlier, 14-year-old Sabari, said to be the youngest victim of the Puttingal Devi temple tragedy, Satyan (55), from nearby Kazhakootam and Surendran (67), one of the fireworks contractors, had succumbed to injuries at the same hospital.
A total of 1,039 persons were treated as outpatients in various hospitals in Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram. The fire tragedy at the 100-year-old Puttingal Devi Temple complex took place during an unauthorised fireworks display early on Sunday after a spark from a firecracker fell on the storehouse containing crackers, triggering explosions.
(With ANI inputs)
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