A major explosion took place at a non-functional stone quarry in Kerala’s Thrissur district late on Monday, June 21. The explosion left one dead and five others injured. The incident took place at the quarry in Vazhakode of Mullurkara village in Thrissur district, at around 8 pm. According to reports, the tremors of the blast were even felt in nearby houses in the region. The deceased has been identified as Abdul Noushad, who is the brother of the quarry owner. The blast was reportedly caused by detonators used for granite explosions, which went off. The owner of the quarry is among the injured.
According to police, the quarry was non-functional for the past one and a half years. Officials are yet to ascertain how the blast occurred at the defunct. An official of the Wadakkanchery police station, who spoke to the media, said that the group of people who had gathered at the quarry, including the owner, could have been fishing in the region.
“The blast happened at an open site in the quarry. A fishing net was recovered from the spot and there is also a small pond-like area nearby where the blast happened. A detailed inquiry has to be done to find out more details,” the Wadakkanchery police official said. “We are not sure if they came for fishing or for something else, we have to find out more for a conclusion,” the official added. Many houses in the vicinity of the quarry were reportedly damaged by the force of the explosion.
Residents in the region told the media that initially, they thought the force of the explosion was an earthquake. “Tremors were even felt kilometers away from the spot. This quarry was shut down by officials. It should be inquired how such a big blast occurred at night in a quarry which was shut down,” a local BJP leader from the region told Asianet News.
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