A woman was killed and 23 others injured in blasts that took place inside a convention centre in Kalamassery in Kerala’s Ernakulam district on Sunday, October 29. According to the district administration, five injured persons are in critical condition in the ICU. The blasts took place amidst a prayer by the Jehovah's Witnesses community at Zamra International Convention Centre. Jehovah’s Witnesses is a Christian sect that denies the idea of the Trinity.
According to reports, there were at least 2,000 people inside the convention centre at around 10 am when the explosions took place. It is not yet clear what caused the blasts, however many eye witnesses said that there were at least three explosions in succession. The first explosion was in the middle of the auditorium, right where people were gathered.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, speaking to the media, said that the blast was unfortunate and that further investigation was underway. He also added that top police officers were on the spot and others were rushing there. “Right now we know one person is dead and other persons are critical. Further details are awaited,” he said.
“We were standing for the prayers. The prayer had started 5 minutes before. We heard a big explosion and everyone started running,” an eyewitness told the media.
Other eyewitnesses said that there was a lot of smoke after the explosions.
Health Minister Veena George has directed the medical department at Kalamassery to be on alert. The Kalamassery Medical College Hospital has instructed all the doctors and nurses of the hospital to report to duty immediately.