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What began as a quiet afternoon in Mundathikode near Thrissur turned into scenes of panic and devastation on Tuesday, April 21, as a powerful explosion at a fireworks unit killed at least 13 people and left several others critically injured. Authorities said the death toll is feared to rise.
The explosion occurred at a unit where firecracker materials were being manufactured and readied for Thrissur Pooram-related displays. According to former MLA and CPI leader VS Sunil Kumar, around 40 people were working at the site, though not all have been accounted for yet. “Thirteen people have died, and five others are in critical condition. The death toll may rise,” he said, adding that the fire has since been completely doused.
City Police Commissioner Nakul Rajendra Deshmukh said at least 23 injured people have been admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Thrissur, with some in critical condition. “As per the information received, it was a sudden explosion, followed by a chain reaction. The remaining materials kept exploding for about 20 minutes,” he said, adding that many people managed to escape while others were shifted to hospitals. He said more details would emerge after investigation, fire audit, and eyewitness accounts.
Among the critically injured is Mundathikode Satheesh, who is understood to have been entrusted with carrying out the fireworks work at the site. He has sustained severe burn injuries.
A worker who escaped the blast described how it unfolded in seconds. “Right next to where I was standing, a sudden flame came and ignited the firecracker fuses that had been laid out to dry. I was working on drying them. Then I heard a loud sound just a few metres away and immediately ran,” said Vincent.
Preliminary accounts suggest that the blast may have been triggered while firecracker materials were being dried and handled, though officials are yet to confirm the exact cause.
For residents living nearby, the human toll unfolded alongside scenes of panic and destruction. “We were resting inside after lunch — me, my wife, and our children — when suddenly everything shook,” Nikhil, who lives close to the site, told Reporter TV. “It felt like the ground split open. The windows shattered, glass flew, and even my child was injured. We ran out without knowing what was happening.”
Homes in the area were damaged by the force of the explosion, with shattered windows and debris scattered across compounds. Several residents said the sound and impact were unlike anything they had experienced.
A few hundred metres away, Usha, another resident, told channels the first explosion was initially mistaken for a routine firecracker burst. “But then there was a massive blast. The sound was terrifying. We grabbed our child and ran,” she said. “The pressure was so strong that the windows broke. People were just running onto the road.”
Another nearby landowner, Varghese Tharakan, said the explosion came without a warning. “Everything shook first, and then there was a loud blast. Initially, I had no idea what was happening,” he said.
Visuals from the site show a charred stretch of land where the unit once stood, with remnants of firecracker materials scattered across the area. Flames reportedly rose above coconut trees, and the fire continued to burn for hours after the initial explosion.
Wadakkanchery MLA Xavier Chittilappilly said multiple units had been deployed to extinguish the fire and additional facilities were being arranged.
District Collector Sikha Surendran said additional teams were on their way from Palakkad and Ernakulam. She added that drones were being used for search operations and robotic equipment had been arranged.
Authorities are yet to release the full list of victims, and the exact number of people present at the site remains unclear. For many, that uncertainty has compounded the grief. “Many people were working there in the morning, we don’t know how many of them are still alive,” a resident said.
Emergency teams rushed to the site soon after the blast, carrying out rescue operations amid fears of further explosions from unexploded materials.